Lupus: Return of the Wolf
by gryphalkon
Summary: The Doctor is called to deal with a rift but what is on the other side is more than he ever could have imagined. Will his bonds of love be able to withstand darkness itself? TenRose, includes Jack and Martha. Reunion fic. Title changed recently.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: This is a little delayed as far as current events for Doctor Who are concerned but yes it is a reunion fanfic. The full cast of characters appears, Martha, Jack, and yes Rose. This thing is a monster, easily the longest thing I have ever written, and my first fanfiction (okay I do have one other but I have run out of inspiration on the thing so this is my first _finished_ one) so I will take what ever form of encouragement/corrections that people care to throw my way. Any typos or grammatical errors are entirely my own fault, and I hope that they don't detract from the story. Thank you for sticking with me through this ridiculously long A/N and enjoy! _

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who.

Chapter One:

The phone rang, normally this wouldn't be a big event, but in the cavernous halls of the TARDIS it was akin to an extinction event for the dinosaurs. The Doctor sat up, forgetting that he was underneath a console. His head connected with the console rather forcibly and for the next moment or so the sound of Gallifreyian curses mixed with the sound of the phone.

The Doctor inhaled, preparing to call for his latest companion to get it when he realized the echoing silence that surrounded him was due to his solitude. Releasing another string of curses he looked around for the source of the call. The perky tune was emanating from the pocket of his overcoat. The joyful energetic tune clashed horribly with his current mood. After Martha, he had run through a string of bad and worst companions, one had even had the audacity to ask him to stop a _football_ team from losing their game in 1996, something about it stopping their descent into obscurity. _Football_. He almost snarled at the memory. It was with a certain amount of spitefulness that he pulled the phone out of his pocket. The glowing panel showed a grinning picture and the name of phone's previous owner. He couldn't help but smile, Martha had never failed to cheer him up even after he lost – No he mustn't think of her. His good mood was quashed as he opened the line.

"Doctor, finally. I almost thought you'd lost my phone," her cheerful voice didn't quite sound accusatory, "Fancy a trip to good ol' Earth?"

Without waiting for his response she forged ahead, "UNIT has picked up some odd readings from our scanners, they have defied every expert we have thrown at them and they're getting stronger. They're coming from the middle of nowhere but better safe then sorry, right?" Her voice became hesitant, "Doctor, I think you might want to see these, they think it might be a rift of some sort, like the one in Cardiff."

Looking about the empty TARDIS, he made up his mind, "Okay, let me just set the temporal coordinates. What time?"

"Time? Oh yeah, right. October 21st, 2008 should do it," Her voice picked up her usual cheerfulness, "See you tomorrow then."

_Click_

The sound of the phone hanging up echoed around the empty ship. Grinning, the Doctor pocketed the now silent phone. It would be good to have a purpose again, for too long he had wandered from planet to planet with a string of companions, a visit to Earth and UNIT, just like the good old days.

With something like his old energy the Doctor sprang around the console, using every appendage he had to get the old time ship out of a temporal orbit and to the designated coordinates.

OOOOOOOO

The scrape of a key in a lock and the opening of the TARDIS door found the Doctor spread eagle on the control panel. His foot struggled to keep one lever pressed while he desperately sought to hold down twenty different buttons with his hands. Martha's laughter brought the Time Lord back to his senses. "Still can't fly the thing can you?" came her humor filled greeting. "Well you made it safely, though it's barely the 21st, more like the 22nd as of…" she glanced down at her watch, "…now."

The Doctor looked past her to the open door, woods dark with night was all he could see through the narrow opening. Looking back at Martha he smiled, "Sorry about that, the old girl has been a bit touchy of late, it was a hard trip." He indicated his uncomfortable position with a twitch of his head. "But I think it's now safe to-" He was cut off by a flashing red button on the consol by his head.

A string of untranslated words floated past Martha's ear and she stifled laughter as the Doctor was forced to press the offending button with his nose. "As I said, still can't fly the thing." She waited as the Doctor disentangled himself from the controls. With a big grin the Doctor swept her up into a bone-crunching hug. Releasing her he stared down at his old companion, "It 's good to see you Martha."

"The same to you Doctor." Martha returned the grin.

He grabbed his overcoat from the railing and bounced over to the door, "So what's the rift that you called me about, something that no one could figure out? I always did love a challenge."

"Come with me," She led the Doctor out of the TARDIS and into the darkened woods, "The sensors that picked it up were initially meant to detect alien ships approaching our solar system. UNIT snagged them from Torchwood and now we use them to monitor our own planet for suspicious activity. It's something we started after," she paused, "well after Canary Wharf." She looked sideways at the Doctor's shrouded figure for a reaction but he merely nodded for her to continue, "The rift readings, for lack of a better term, were coming from a complex in the middle of these woods. So we packed up a team and decided to investigate. It's more Torchwoods purview but after their track record with rifts…," she faded into silence, letting their shared knowledge speak itself.

"I understand, but how did you, a doctor, get thrown into dealing with a rift?" he enquired as they moved farther into the woods.

"Oh, that. I'm here incase anyone gets hurt, as tends to happen with this sort of thing and to provide a general expertise, due to my ahh…travels." As she finished speaking they entered a well lit clearing. Industrial strength lights were strung from the trees and the tents in the center of the clearing thrummed with activity. Uniformed men ran from tent to tent and the hum of a generator could be heard in the background.

She led the Doctor to the biggest tent. Two uniform soldiers stood outside and when Martha approached they snapped to attention. The Doctor shot her a questioning look and she shrugged and muttered underneath her breath, "I came very well recommended." He felt a smile tug at the corner of his lips; he knew he had done the right thing. She pulled the canvas flap aside and they entered its well lighted interior.

A table surrounded by camp chairs dominated the interior, several men in uniforms sat around the head of the table. A familiar American lilt reached the Doctor's ears and Captain Jack Harkness ceased speaking and turned to look at the tent's newest occupant.

Martha spoke as silence fell, "This is the specialist that I was talking about Major Brock, Doctor John Smith. He is the leading expert in this kind of thing. Doctor, this is Major Andrew Brock, Captain James Diamond, and Captain Anthony Montgomery." She gestured to the three military men sitting at the head of the table. Major Brock was a tall lean man with a head of graying hair; the Captains looked as though they were twins, burly men with brown hair. Though, Captain Diamond had a twinkle of humor in his eyes that his compatriot lacked. Martha continued with a half smile playing on her face, "And this is our advisor from Torchwood, Captain Jack Harkness."

Jack winked, and then turned back to his previous discussion, "As I was saying, we simply can't barge in there, who knows what is generating this energy source. For all we know it could explode the moment we walk in there."

Captain Montgomery snorted, "As far as we can tell there is nothing of danger in that complex. I think you are just being too cautious, trying make up for the fiasco you caused last time one of you Torchwood fellows fooled with a rift."

The Doctor watched as Jack stiffened, the Captain had struck a nerve, it was with a quiet voice that he responded, "Sir, I would like to remind you that I am the head of Torchwood _Three_, those who perpetrated that nightmare were of Torchwood One. We had nothing to do with the Battle of Canary Wharf."

Montgomery looked unconvinced, but before he could continue Major Brock intervened, "Silence gentlemen, let's hear what Doctor Smith has to say on our mysterious readings before we go any further. Doctors please have a seat."

Martha took the seat next to Jack and the Doctor sat gingerly next to a fuming Captain Montgomery. "I only know what Doctor Jones told me over the phone."

Brock shot Martha an accusing look. "It was over a secure line Major, I made sure of it," Martha responded. Pacified he motioned for the Doctor to continue.

"From what you were able to make out the energy readings coming from the complex seem to be indicating a rift in the area. If I confirm this, UNIT will go in and attempt to close the rift. Correct?"

"Correct Doctor, UNIT is here to provide the muscle this operation might need, but our specialists are frankly stumped. They are currently working on trying to determine the source of these energy readings and its location but as far as they tell me they don't think they will succeed." Brock's gravelly voice droned to a halt as one of the aforementioned scientists burst into the tent.

The man had a look of someone who had coffee in his veins instead of blood. Without even pausing for breath or acknowledgement he started to speak to the Major, ignoring everyone else in the room, "Major, we need to move _now,_ the energy readings have jumped to through the roof. Rift or not, if it continues to grow at this rate this entire area is in danger of going up like a bonfire." He paused for the Major's reaction but it was the Doctor responded the quickest.

The Doctor spoke, thinking fast., "Let me see the readings, just to confirm," heedless of military protocol he turned to the Major, "get your men ready, if this is a rift and it isn't stopped then we can not only say goodbye to this area but the entire universe and the next one over as well."

Major Brock nodded and looked at the Doctor, he seemed to look past Doctor John Smith and see the Time Lord underneath, "As you say, Doctor." He then strode from the tent issuing orders as he went.

The Doctor jumped to his feet, the Time Lord equivalent of adrenaline coursing through his system, it felt good to be saving the universe again. Martha and Jack followed him as he ran from the tent after the retreating scientist and military officers.

The man ducked inside another, smaller tent, the hum of the generator indicated that this was the source of power for the camp. The Doctor ducked inside followed by the others. Banks of monitors whirred and clanked, analyzing the new data coming in. A shrill alarm beeped as a line, black on white, spiked. A team comprised of the scientist and three others hovered over the shrilling monitor. The lead scientist turned to the Doctor, "I'm Sam Levern by the way, and this is the data we can't make heads or tails of." He nodded at a print out adorning the center desk. "Currently the energy has tripled from the levels of this afternoon. The only matching pattern we can find indicates it's a rift, but what in God's name is a rift doing out in a facility like this is beyond me."

The Doctor rifled through the pages, taking all the data in at a rapid rate, "You're right, it does look like a rift but…oohh what is this?" he flipped to the next sheet, engrossed in its contents, with a snap he shut the folder. "May I take this?" He held the folder of data. Sam nodded tiredly.

The Doctor dashed from the tent, jerking his head for Martha and Jack to follow him. He led them to a secluded corner among the tents.

"Martha, how much weight will your suggestions have with that Major?" He asked.

"A lot, but he would be more willing to listen to you. He's one of the people who know who you really are, the Brigadier General told a select group, and he was one of them. The others just believe you are a specialist but the Major knows otherwise."

"Ahh, so that would explain that look. Anyway, I need you to tell him that he needs to pull his troops out of here and abandon the area. Tell him to make up whatever he needs to but to get UNIT out of here."

"Why?" Jack spoke up, "Won't the extra man power be helpful if there is a rift to shut down?"

"Yes and no, but if I am right, then no. I have seen this kind of thing before. This is no natural rift being exploited, as was the case in London, someone has made this rift. A brilliant but very stupid person and I think I know who it is and if I am right. Well, the extra people would only be in danger. So can you get them out of here?"

"Y-es," Martha hesitantly responded.

"Good, then after they're gone we can head towards the complex," the Doctor paused and an unidentifiable expression flashed briefly across his face, "unless you two don't want to come?"

"No," Jack and Martha said in unison, they flashed a glance at each other and Jack continued, "We'll come."

His grinned flashed and his expression softened, "I missed you two." He then breathed deeply and ran a hand through his messy hair, "Well down to business, stopping a megalomaniac who can end the universe with a push of a button."

_F/N: Encouragements/corrections/reviews? Thanks again!_


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: I am a new whovian so please excuse any UNIT inaccuracies. An another note, in this universe Donna never meets the Doctor to become a full time companion. I realize I mention some rather nasty companions in the previous chapter but she isn't one of them, I am enjoying her tenure in the tardis a lot actually. Rose is coming, I promise, within the next few chapters…So without further ado, here is the next chapter. _

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who

Chapter Two:

The last UNIT truck rolled noisily down the road away from the clearing. Martha breathed a sigh of relief and ran back into the woods were her companions were hiding. It had taken little to convince the Major to leave, his captain were still dubious but gave in to direct orders. In the end she had managed to fabricate some nonsense that it was a natural spike and that it soon would subside without military intervention. As the equipment was being packed into the truck, Brock had pulled her aside. In a low undertone he had asked her to be safe, and to look after the Doctor. An unspoken understanding had passed between them, he knew that this wasn't a natural occurrence but he trusted her and the Doctor to sort it out.

At last she pushed her way into the smaller clearing where the Doctor and Jack had waited, "It's done, they're gone. I managed to convince them that it was a natural thing and it would go away without help. They think that Jack and I are headed for a beer with our new friend Doctor Smith. So Doctor, any beer where we're headed?"

The Doctor chose to ignore the question but from the curl of his lip it was easy to tell he didn't think very highly of alcohol. "Before we head out I need to tell you a few things about what I think we are facing. Only a few people I've ever met have had the audacity to make an artificial rift, and only one would be found on Earth. He lead a band of mercenaries called some ridiculous name, something to do with shadows, I forget exactly what. He himself went by the name of Julius Barker when I knew him, oh, some time in 76th century, or was it the 78th? Anyway, we ran into each other in some ancient ruins, he was looking for an artifact that would enable him to defeat darkness itself. He then opened a rift, or at least tried to, to get to the other universe where the darkness abided. The man ended up collapsing the rift on himself. I escaped in the TARDIS but he took my companion with him in the end." The Doctor ended on almost a pleading note.

"So _we_ are dealing with a power hungry crazy man," Jack said into the silence following the Doctor's last statement, they all knew how dangerous it was to travel with the Doctor. "But if he leads a bunch of mercenaries, shouldn't UNIT have stuck around?"

"No, the man led his group by way of a device that converted anyone he wished to his cause. Those from UNIT wouldn't have stood a chance and we would have ended up fighting them as well as any support he now has. The device functioned only has a certain range, which is what limited him to only being a mercenary," the Doctor explained with a far off expression, he was already lost in how to go about closing the rift.

"What about us, won't we be affected?" Martha broke through the Doctor's reverie.

"Nope, because you've traveled in the TARDIS with me you've picked up temporal background radiation, it protects you from the device. Sort of like a giant sponge, no more like a…ah nevermind." He paused, trying to capture the errant name, before continuing, "My own biology protects me. And that is why we're better off by our lonesome. Though how we are going to get in-Well, that's half the fun."

"I did some exploring of my own before I hooked up with UNIT," Jack spoke suddenly, "I think I know how to get us in, but as far as finding what's causing that rift, I'm afraid that is up to you Doctor."

As way of answer the Doctor held up his sonic screwdriver. "No problem."

OOOOOOO

Jack Harkness swore silently under his breath as his toes connected with another hidden root. The Doctor and Martha following had no such difficulty, the Doctor by virtue of his superior night vision and Martha by treading only were the Doctor stepped.

"How much farther until we run into the edge of the complex?" Martha hissed into the darkness, they had been traveling for the better part of the night. Jack motioned for her to return to silence, it was only a little further now. As if in response to his expectations a fence appeared out of the woods in front of him. He threw up a fist and the other two stopped. Over their soft breathing he could hear a guard rustling the leaves of the underbrush nearby. A quick hand gesture and they headed to the right, away from the sound of the guard.

A little way along the fence they reached the spot Jack was looking for. It was a natural gulley, well out of sight of the guards. Underbrush screened the fence on both sides, easily hiding the bottom of the fence. Jack knelt besides the still form of the Doctor, "Can you use the screwdriver to cut the fence?" The form nodded imperceptibly and moved forward to do just that. The hum of the sonic screwdriver seemed as loud as thunder to their nervous ears. Just as it seemed that detection was imminent the sound stopped and the Doctor pulled a segment of the fence aside.

With a look back at Jack, the Doctor nodded and then ducked through the opening. Martha looked to Jack, and with his silent acquiescence followed the Doctor. Jack was the last through the opening and with a quick glance back he moved the segment of the fence back into place. Now, without careful scrutiny it would appear as though nothing was out of place, or so he hoped. The Doctor and Martha stood not far away, highlighted by grey light of dawn, on the edge of the woods. The sprawling brick building that made up the complex was laid out before them. The pre-dawn grayness was beat back by powerful spotlights, which lay bear the surrounding asphalt. It looked like a brick monster rising from a sea of black concrete.

Jack hissed at the sight, "I hadn't anticipated the spotlights; this is as far as I can led you guys, now it's up to you Doc."

The Doctor shook his head at the sight before them, "I don't know, let's try circle the compound, maybe there is a place less exposed than this."

They headed off to the left, silently circling the sleeping beast. On the other side of the building they found an area where the trees abutted the brick wall. A door stood not far from the trees. The steel blue door fell quickly to the sonic screwdriver. They stood only a few moments before ducking inside.

They found themselves a long hallway, the overhead lighting harsh on their dark accustomed eyes. The white walls stretch as far as they could see in both directions; no door broke them except for the one which they had just entered through. The Doctor raised the sonic screwdriver and then fiddled with the controls. After a moment he headed down the hall to the right, if they sonic screwdriver had given him some sign Jack certainly couldn't make out what it was.

After what seemed an eternity they reach the end of the hall, again the Doctor held up the sonic screwdriver, this time the invisible sign indicated they should go left. This process was repeated until the Doctor stopped outside of a plain door recess in another long hall. "This is it," with a doubtful look at his screwdriver he amended his statement, "or at least I think it is."

"I wonder why we haven't run into any guards yet." Martha spoke up from the back of the group. Her jolting movements at every sound had been the other constant besides the Doctor's silence.

"I was just wondering the same thing." The Doctor voiced as he gave the door a thorough investigation, "I think it might be because-" He was cut off by a piercing alarm. Innocent wall installations now blazed with pulsing lights.

"RUN!" the Doctor shouted over the alarm and he took off down the hall the way they came. Martha and Jack were hard pressed to keep up with the dashing Time Lord.

As the three of them skidded around a corner they came face to face with a group of black clad guards. Before they could turn and flee the guards had raised their guns, "Don't move or we'll shoot," came the ominous dead pan command from the lead guard.

The Doctor looked at Jack and then to Martha, they both looked at him with determined eyes. In unison they raised their hands above their heads, and as the guards moved towards them Jack moved. With blinding speed he disarmed the nearest guard and raised the stolen gun back on their pursuers. "Go! I'll hold them here." Jack yelled at his companions.

The Doctor and Martha ran around the corner and ducked into the door the Doctor had been examining. Breathless the Doctor fumbled with the screwdriver, holding against the key hole. With a click they fell through the door, the Doctor immediately relocked the door with a flick of the sonic screwdriver. Martha grabbed his shoulder and spun him to meet her gaze, her face livid, "What about Jack?"

"We can rescue him once we close this rift, but right now this is our priority. I don't like it any more than you do, but he gave us the time to do this knowing full well what he was facing." The Doctor turned back to the room, dismissing Martha's concern, his eyes taking in the varied panels of instruments. His gaze alighted on a control panel nestled in the far corner of the room; it appeared to be the one he was looking for. Behind him, Martha seethed with anger at the Doctor's pronouncement. He could almost hear her think; she knew that he was right; Jack could take care of himself.

"Martha, stay by the door and warn me as soon as the soldiers start breaking through." Without pausing for her reply he dashed to the control panel, it took a moment but the Doctor soon had the guts of the panel scattered across the floor before him. A few more moments and he grinned in triumph. "Martha, I've done it, the rift is-"

"-is shut down," the jovial voice of Julius Barker finished the sentence, "It's good to see you again, Doctor. I missed finishing our little spat on the moon of Flepora, quite the trick you pulled on me, collapsing my rift. Ahh well, let bygones be bygones, though you do have a dreadful tenacity for shutting down my projects."

The Doctor realized that he had been so absorbed in his work he had failed to notice entrance of Barker and the troops. He turned to the horrifying scene of both Martha and Jack held tightly by the guards. An oozing gash on Jack's forehead and a rising bruise on Martha's cheek indicated the fight that his companions had put up to give him the necessary time.

"Let them go," the Doctor voice was laced with quiet steel.

"Or what, you'll shoot me? You never did like guns, Doctor, always relying on that sonic toothpick. I assure your companions will be fine, this time round," He grinned at the last statement and the Doctor flinched, "As long as you don't do anything too stupid, like, say, shutting down a rift?"

"It's already too late Julius. The rift is disconnected from your equipment. It will close on its own now," The Doctor announced coldly, "So let my companions go, and we will leave you in peace."

The Doctor stood and walked over to where Barker was standing, the Time Lord towered over the other man. The Doctor's disheveled appearance was a stark contrast to Julius' sleek military outfit but still the Doctor managed to look more threatening then the mousy man standing in front of him.

"No, I don't think so. You still owe me for the last time you ruined by plans. I think you and your _companions_," Julius gave a dismissive snort, "will be enjoying my hospitality for a time, after all a Time Lord must have time to spare." He gave a little chuckle at his own joke. "Take them to the cells. After I finish my breakfast that they so rudely interrupted I'll be down to welcome our guests. Oh, I almost forgot, don't forget to relieve the tall and skinny one of that device, we wouldn't want him escaping."

Barker turned on his heel and walked out of the room, ignoring the seething Time Lord and his two companions. The guards at the door parted for his exit and then closed again, advancing on the Doctor. He stood still as they approached him, his gaze sought his companions. Jack met his and flashed a grin; Martha merely looked sick but managed a weak smile. The approaching guards raised their guns, the lead man poked the Doctor in the chest with his, "Let me see your hands, and give me your device." Reluctantly the Doctor obeyed the commands, turning over his trusty sonic screwdriver.

In short order the guards led the handcuffed three through a series of twisting corridors and down a flight of concrete steps into the dripping underbelly of the building. The flickering lights barely illuminated a row of damp cells, rusty bars included. With no regard for their handcuffed state the accompanying guards tossed the trio into three adjacent cells. Before retreating they removed the handcuffs, leaving the Doctor, Martha, and Jack rubbing their wrists. Job done, the guards retreated the way they came, leaving the Doctor, Martha, and Jack to stare at the bars of their fate.

_F/N: Thank you thank you thank you. _


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Shorter than the last two but posted none the less. Thank you thank you for the review and the alerts. Just to warn you I am a hopeless advocate for Doctor whump (if that is the term used in this fandom I know it is used a lot in the SG-A fandom) so for the next few chapters don't expect much conversation from the Doctor__. Again please inform me of any inaccuracies, I couldn't find much out there on Time Lord biology. Enjoy!_

Chapter Three: 

The Doctor's feet made a staccato pattern on the concrete floor. _Three, four, five, six…turn. One, two, three, four, five, six…turn. _A mask of frustration and rage marred his mobile features. Jack looked up from his supine position on his cell's cot, "Doctor, you're going to wear a hole in the floor. We can't do anything right now but wait and hope the opportunity to escape is presented to us."

"I know, I know, but ever since my run in with the Master…well, I haven't been very fond of small _caged_ spaces," said the Doctor as he paused in his pacing to run a hand through his messy hair. "At the very least I disconnect the rift; it should follow the patterns of a natural rift now, ebb and flow until is closes," he grinned wryly, "You could almost say I put a sort of dead lock seal on the thing, to keep him from reattaching his rift manipulator." He lapsed into silence and began pacing again.

Martha suddenly sat up and looked around, as if searching for something. "I think I can get us out of here," Martha spoke up from her seat on her cot. She pulled off one of her shoes and peeled off the sole at the heel. A set of small metal tools lay in the lining of the bottom of her shoe, with great care she pulled them free. "Lock picks. UNIT taught me how to pick locks. I haven't practiced in a while, but…I think I can get us out. I was hesitant to mention it before incase we were being observed, but as far as I can tell we aren't."

The two men looked at her in astonishment. Jack raised a questioning eyebrow, "Why didn't I ever think of that? I'll have to get Ianto to fix me up a set once I get back to the hub. Well what are you waiting for Martha? Spring us from these cells."

Martha knelt by her cell door, wrapping her arms around through the bars. The tools scraped across the rusty surface as she quested for the key hole. Biting her tongue she felt around in the inner workings of the mechanism. Jack and the Doctor held their breath as she wiggled and shifted the small tools around. After a few moments Martha stopped and drew back from her embrace of the door, "I can't get it. The mechanism is too rusted for anything but the key to open it. Sorry."

Before any of them could respond the sound of footsteps descending the stair reached their ears. The diminutive form of Julius Barker came into view, devouring a jam covered scone, behind him came the ominous forms of two white clad scientists and half a dozen soldiers. Martha hastily stuffed the picks into her jacket pocket and retreated from the cell door.

"Ahh Doctor, my good friend, I'm afraid my scientists are a little too eager to get their hands on you. I told them to wait, but I'm afraid that nothing can stop scientific curiosity for long," Julius Barker forced around a mouthful of scone. The two scientists came to stand behind each of his shoulders, like two guardian angels, no, more like two angels of death.

The Doctor stopped his furrowing path and moved to face maniac who held the life of him and his companions. The glare that he graced Barker's face would have sent any lesser man running for the nearest exit, but Barker merely continued to munch placidly on his scone. He then turned to the flanking scientists, "You may have what fun you may with him, only don't kill him. I reserve that honor for myself. If I may make a suggestion though, I always wondered what would happen if trace amounts of acetylsalicylic acid were introduced in his blood stream. It might be an interesting experiment."

The taller of the two scientists nodded and pulled from his pocket a syringe full of a clear fluid. With a twist he removed the cap so the shining needle was laid bare; he then motioned for three of the soldiers to grab the Doctor.

Jack jumped to his feet and ran at the bars, trying futilely to break through, "You can't do this! Stop it!"

"Calm down, your little Doctor knew this was coming the moment I captured him. I always wanted to know what made the Time Lord tick. Along with my hobby of time travel and rifts," he held up a wrist adorned with a vortex manipulator eerily similar to the one that adorned Jack's wrist, "I hunted ruthlessly for any knowledge of those who came from Gallifrey, for it was through them that I initially learned of the Darkness, a darkness that devours all in its path." His eyes became glazed with a far off look and a ruthless smile came to his features. With a snap he motioned for the scientist to continue and exited the way he came.

Both Jack and Martha looked on in horror as the soldiers caught the Doctor in a tight embrace. The Doctor struggled against his captors, a feral grimace playing across his features, but the guards held him steady. The white coated man twisted the Doctor's head to the side and plunged the syringe in his neck. As the liquid in the syringe began to work his expression softened and he sagged loosely in his captor's arms. Jack and Martha could only watch hopelessly as the soldiers dragged the limp form of the Doctor up the stairs and out of sight.

OOOOOOO

The Doctor fought the sedative in his veins but they had clearly done their research, he was helpless against the soporific tide. He was vaguely aware of being dragged through the endless white halls into a room where he was strapped into some sort of table. He was dimly aware of the cold surface through his thin shirt; they must have removed his jacket he connected fuzzily.

The dull murmur of voice met his ears but he couldn't make out what they were saying. It was so peaceful just to lie here, without struggling. The lights above him looked vaguely like the sun. But which sun? He had visited so many over the course of his life. That color, a yellow-white, limited to only a few thousand. The world of the flying sting-rays, as Rose had labeled them, had such a sun. Rose, there was someone he would love to see right now, to share this peace with. She had promised to stay with him forever. Where was she, she had promised hadn't she?

A rising anxiety broke through his floating peace, he wanted Rose _now_! A moan broke through dry lips and the fuzzy shapes around him paused. He caught phrases of their speech this time,_"…shouldn't be awake…maximum dosage…must be burning through it faster than we thought…" _

A sharp pinch and then the calm returned, flooding through his blood. The peace pushed all thoughts of Rose aside. He floated as machines whirred and flashed above him, and periodically he felt more sharp pinches. Blurred faces came and went, sometimes exclaiming sharply, other times droning on like bees. It seemed an eternity that he lay there thinking of nothing.

A voice broke through the heavy curtain clouding his mind, but it took all of his effort to understand, "Doctor, Doctor, just where I've always wanted you. I know you can't answer me right now, you can't even appreciate the situation, but I can appreciate it enough for the both of us. I know the Time Lord's weakness as far as common Earth drugs go. Can you imagine? The mighty rulers of the universe, felled by aspirin. Well I 'm going to give you a taste of that I think. Good bye, Doctor, this is what you get for fooling with my plans." The face retreated, to be replaced by a shiny object.

A gasp escaped the Doctor's lips as the poison entered his bloodstream. It burned away any traces of the sedative still in his body and he was forced into full consciousness. The first thing that met his eyes was the excited face of Julius Barker.

"So how does it feel Doctor? I always wondered exactly what aspirin would do to a Time Lord. Does it shut down the heart first, or does it shut down the secondary organs? Can you regenerate with this in your system? So much to learn in so little time."

The pain was growing, spreading through his limbs like wildfire. The Doctor gratefully gave up his hold on consciousness and sank into welcoming blackness.

_F/N: Thank you!_


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Another chapter, woot! I am not really happy with the first half of this chapter but it gets better if you stick with it. This is the end of the stuff I have to write, now I just have to edit things, so I can post faster. The only thing is I really don't like editing…but anyway Thank You Thank You for the wonderful reviews and reader alerts for the last chapters. Rose is appearing in exactly ONE chapter, finally. She is the character I like to write best, though she is not exactly herself…read on to find out__ :). The poor Doctor gets even more beat up in this chapter, I just can't resist. As Always any suggestions/corrections/comments or if you just want to tell me what color the sky was today is welcome. Anyway, Enjoy!_

Chapter Four: 

Hours passed and this time it was Jack pacing up and down his cell, muttering obscenities under his breath. For all his resources, he was trapped in these damn cells without out hope or rescue. The team back at the hub believed him on vacation, they thought he was one some sandy tropic isle ogling the scantily clad men and women, how wrong they were. Speaking of engaging women, his eyes flicked over to Martha. She lay on her cot, a dejected look on her face.

"You couldn't have done anything to prevent it. Try and get some sleep, Martha, we've been going all night. I can keep watch for anything going on," Jack tried to reassure her. His conversation earned him a warning glare from the sergeant posted at the foot of the stairs.

Martha turned her head to look at him. "Thanks, but I'd rather not sleep right now. I can't stop thinking about what they're doing to him–," Her voice broke and a single tear tracked its way down her cheek.

"Martha, he will be fine, he's bounced back from worst things than this. Trust me," Jack reached through the bars to lay a comforting hand on Martha's shoulder. "Trust me," he repeated.

"I do," she said with a small smile.

Their muttered conversation was interrupted by the appearance of a youthful guard, out of breath. He motioned for the sergeant to lean close and whispered something into his ear. Martha leaned forward and caught the tail end of the guard's message, "…is a figure out in the wood, we're not sure who it is but it took out one of the sentries…" The man nodded grimly and then departed with the young soldier in tow.

Both Jack and Martha breathed a sigh of relief at the dour man's departure. His presence would no longer hinder their attempt to formulate an escape plan.

"I wish we had his sonic screwdriver," Martha voiced their shared thought.

"You're sure that your door is too rusted to pick?" Jack asked with a note of hope in his voice.

"Pretty sure. The mechanism was stuck last time, but I can try again. Can you watch for anyone coming?" She waited as Jack took up position by his door, watching for any approaching guards, and then bent to her door. With a grimace of distaste she embraced the damp rusty bars, feeling for the lock.

Martha bit her lip in concentration, "This would be a lot easier if I could actually see the lock. Can you tell from where you're standing if the pick is in the lock?"

"Just a little bit to your right," Jack muttered, "No, other right."

Martha moved the pick and it sank into the key hole, she wiggled the tumblers. Nearly fifteen minutes passed as Martha wiggled and turned the small picks. Finally with a satisfying _click_ the door groaned open a few inches. She looked up at Jack with an expression of exhilaration on her face. "I did it," she uttered, sounding disbelieving.

"Indeed you did. Now get me out of mine, and hurry. I don't think we'll remain alone for much longer," Jack spoke, his tone dropping to an urgent whisper.

Martha nodded in response and knelt in front of his door. This time the lock yielded without major resistance, it swung open almost as soon as Martha started turning the tumblers. Jack didn't wait for the door to swing open but wrenched it wide. He motioned for a still kneeling Martha to follow and raced towards the stairs.

They both stood in the stair well, motionless, the sound of marching feet echoed from behind the unbolted door at the top of the flight. They waited breathlessly as the sound of feet receded into the distance; as soon as silence descended the pair sprinted to the top.

"How will we find the Doctor? This complex is huge, and he could be anywhere by now," Martha murmured to Jack.

As way of answer the ex-Time Agent held up his left wrist, which a large leather device adorned. "This. I should be able to track his life sign with its sensors." He flipped over the cover and brought up the necessary screen, green dots moved like dancing fireflies over the surface. "This man had quite the installation. I count maybe forty, maybe fifty people all told. Hmm…let me just recalibrate this for Time Lord life signs." He fiddled with the dials until the multitude of green lights faded, to be replaced with one constant blue light.

Martha looked over his shoulder, her brow furrowed in concentration, "I can't make heads or tails of this. Which way?"

"That general direction," Jack pointed to the eastern end of the building, "It'll be difficult to follow that exact root since we don't have an overlay of the building."

Jack peered around the corner, checking to make sure the coast was clear. It was. Jack then Martha slid out from the protective cover of the door. With soft footfalls they followed the small blue light. Several times false ends made it necessary to reverse course and try another path. Martha was soon quivering with apprehension, so far they had been lucky and had avoided any patrols, but it was only a matter of time. Jack held up his hand, voices were issuing out of an open door farther down the corridor.

"…incredible, the subject has secondary organs for all of the major ones. I wonder if that's a hereditary trait or whether they engineered themselves that way. I mean, a species of this level must be capable of something like that."

"I know, the subject is simply amazing, and to think that we have it at our disposal."

"Hey Edward, get over here. I think the subject might be waking up…"

The voices faded as they moved away from the door. Jack growled underneath his breath, "Calling the Doctor_ it_, they don't realize that he is worth a dozen – no a hundred of them."

"Doctor – in – there?" Martha mouthed.

Jack nodded and spoke into her ear, "Go get the Doctor, I'll take care of the scientists."

They looked at each other and then stepped around the corner and into the room. It was a laboratory, the most state-of-the-art equipment hummed and purred along the outer wall. Harsh florescent lighting shone off of white tile floors. Two scientists stood in the far corner, their backs to the door talking over a series of x-rays. In the center of the room stood a stainless steel table, and on it the Doctor lay. He was held down by wide leather straps bucked around his chest and extremities. Martha's heart rose to her throat at the sight of the Doctor, he made a pitiful figure. Sweat had soaked his thin shirt and he fought the restraining bands, moaning.

Jack took one look at the Doctor and his eyes narrowed in anger, and then fell on the scientists. He left Martha standing by the door and silently approached the two men, who were deep in discussion, oblivious all around them.

Martha gave Jack one cursory look before going about her own task, in six strides she stood by the Doctor's side. "Hold on, I'm going to get you out of here Doctor," she muttered softly. With trembling fingers she tore at the straps that bound his wrists. How could they do this to the man who had saved this world and so many others countless times?

"M-martha? Is t-hat you?" the Doctor mumbled. His lids were half open, the eyes beneath were bloodshot and unfocused.

"Yes Doctor, it's me. Just stay still and I'll get you out of these straps," Martha said, a note of desperation in her voice. Her fingers scrabbled at the bands on his ankles. "Do you know what they did to you? Did they give you anything?"

"Yes, t-they gave me–," A muted tone came from deep with in the Doctor's throat. His face twisted weakly in frustration, he tried again but failed to produce an English word, "I c-can't…d-don't know word…fuzzy in head. Promise me…get back to T-TARDIS, she can 'elp."

"I promise Doctor, I'll get you back to the TARDIS. Can you stand? I need to get you out of here." Martha finished with the last strap around the Doctor's chest and supported his weak attempts to sit up. Jack appeared at her side to take the Doctor's other arm. She noticed the sonic screwdriver resting on a tray near the table and stuffed it into her pocket. Martha glanced briefly back to see the bodies of the scientists lying prone were they had once stood. In response to her questioning glace he said simply, "Unconscious."

Between them they lifted the Doctor to his feet. He attempted to aid them but fell limply back into their support as soon as they moved away from the table. Together the three maneuvered through the door. Martha looked at Jack, "Which way do we go now?"

"Sonic screwdriver," the Doctor said softly startling both of them, "Give me the sonic screwdriv-ah!" A grimace of pain shot across the Doctor's face. He paused, closing his eyes, when he opened them again he was steadier on his feet and his eyes were clearer.

Martha pulled it out of her pocket and closed it in one of the Doctor's hands. He glanced briefly at the settings and fumbled with the dials. Satisfied he disengaged one of his arms from Martha's shoulders and held up the sonic screwdriver. "Left, we need to go left."

They followed his instructions, the Doctor supported by Jack, followed by Martha. As they progressed the Doctor seemed to grow stronger. Periodically, his face twisted in pain and he would close his eyes. After one such occurrence he spoke, "I can only suppress the –," again the muted tone, "-for so long. Martha, you need to get me to the TARDIS as quickly as possible."

"I know, I pro–," she paused, startled by the sound of oncoming people. They were halfway down a short corridor, and the sound came from around the next corner. Jack slid out from underneath the Doctor. Martha quickly moved to support the swaying Time Lord. Jack opened a nearby door, a janitor's closet, and shoved them both inside, "I'll lead them off, get out as quick as you can." He then shut the door with a snap, hiding the two occupants. By this time the voices were upon them. Martha heard the muffled cries of "intruder".

They waited in the closet for what seemed an eternity after the running footsteps had faded from hearing. Martha gingerly opened the door and stuck her head out into the hallway. "All clear."

She helped the Doctor get to his feet. The brief rest seem to have done him some good, he stood almost unsupported. Martha knew that it was only a stopgap measure, what they had given him would eventually erode whatever attempts the Doctor had made to boost his flagging systems.

They emerged from the closet, the Doctor leaning lightly on Martha's arm. He motioned in the direction in which they needed to go. He seemed to be reserving all his energy simply for motion. The two of them headed off in the direction, after a few more hallways and pauses to consult the sonic screwdriver, the Doctor indicated a nondescript door.

"Through there…outside," the Doctor was panting with the effort to stay upright. With a strangled cry the doubled over, clutching his abdomen. Martha kneeled, "What's wrong?"

"Stand up and put your hands on your head," Martha sprang to her feet, turning on the spot. Behind her the youthful guard from the cell stood, holding a shaking gun pointed directly at her heart. "Do it now or I'll shoot."

Martha raised her hands above her head and moved slowly back to stand near the Doctor. "It's okay, just don't shoot. I'll come with you," she spoke in a soothing voice, hoping to calm the clearly nervous youth.

She bent to help the Doctor to his feet. Time seemed to slow. The guard, spooked by her movement, pulled the trigger. Martha saw the faint smoke rise from the gun, but before she could register what was happening a shape leaped in front of her.

"No!," Martha cried, catching the falling body of the Doctor. A rust colored stain blossomed on his shirt. The guard took in the scene before him and his eyes widened in horror. Before the echo of the gun rapport faded he turned tail and fled.

"Doctor, can you hear me?" Martha searched franticly for a pulse. With relief she found it, a strong but slow. The Time Lord opened his eyes; they were glassy, but he blinked and his gaze focused on Martha.

"I couldn't let them hurt you…they've hurt too many…," He stiffened and closed his eyes, "TARDIS…quickly!" With a strangled cry his eyes slipped closed, and his head dropped to the floor as he sank into unconsciousness.

Martha hastily tore strips of cloth from the bottom of her jacket. Besides the initial alarming spreading stain, the blood had slowed. _Must be a virtue of alien biology_ Martha thought as she applied the makeshift bandage about the Doctor's mid-abdomen. Now it was ever more crucial to get the Doctor to the TARDIS, but Martha wasn't sure she would be able to so, not without help anyway.

"Now or never. I promised you Doctor that I'd get you to the TARDIS, and so I will," Martha told the unconscious figure at her feet. As Martha looked out the door she could see the setting sun highlighting the tops of the trees golden. She couldn't help but think, _Will the Doctor ever see another sunrise?_

_F/N: If you feel inclined I would love to hear from you! Thank you!_


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: And since I couldn't resist here is the reunion part of this fic. I am a lot happier with the way this section turned out. I had to tweak a few lines of dialogue but it worked out well seeing how this was the section I first wrote and everything up to now was written to get to this point. Thanks for sticking with me and Thank you for the reviews and the alerts. Commets/suggests/random issues etc. are always welcome. Without further ado, Enjoy!_

Chapter Five:

Martha struggled with the Doctor's uncooperative body. She couldn't carry him much further without dropping from exhaustion herself. These last few days hadn't been kind on either of them. She stopped, lowering the Doctor gently to the ground. The light from the distant complex highlighted the trees and underbrush around her, no sinister eyes glared from the bushes so she figured she could afford to rest for a moment. Panting she rested against a tree, the Doctor's battered body at her feet. "Can't be much longer now 'til we find the gate out of this place," she said conversationally to the unconscious Doctor.

Staring at the crimson bandages adorning his abdomen, she was torn. If she waited much longer to properly bandage the wound, the Doctor risked bleeding out, but if she stopped to tend it so close to the complex she risked being found, and that wouldn't benefit either of them. She needed to redo the bandage at the very least; she could bandage it properly once she got away from this hell hole. She hoped whatever Jack was doing; it would be enough to distract the guards for a good long while.

Martha took off her tattered jacket, shivering as her bare arms met the cool autumn night air. She knelt by the Doctor, tearing strips from the jacket. She gently padded the wound with it, provoking a quiet moan from the Doctor. Martha finished, tying off the bandage with the rest of the jacket. "Hold on, we're almost out of here, I promised I'd get you back to the TARDIS and I won't fail you now Doctor, not when we're so close." Martha stood, "Well, I guess it's back to our wonderful walk through the woods. I can only hope I remembered where you parked the TARDIS." Taking the Doctor's limp arm she levered him into a vertical position with a grunt.

Martha looked around, trying to choose the best path through the undergrowth. A shadow caught her eye as it flitted from tree to tree. Whoever it was didn't want to be seen, and it was seemed to be unaware of the two of them standing there. Okay, standing was a loose term, Martha felt ready to fall over.

Suddenly Martha's mind darted back to the guard room, '_There's a figure out in the wood, we are not sure who it is but it took out one of the sentries' One of the guards had muttered into the Sergeant's ear._ It was a long shot but any help she could get would be a welcome boon. The figure had stopped, cloaked back facing Martha, no more than twenty feet away. It had taken a parallel path the one that Martha and the unconscious Doctor had chosen, farther from the light of the complex.

Martha lowered the Doctor to the ground again, eliciting another, louder, moan. Martha tensed at the look of pain that shot across her friend's face. She knew he couldn't last much longer without going into the Time Lord equivalent of shock. Upon straightening again she saw the figure was no longer there. They must have heard the Doctor's moan of pain and fled, so much for stealth. A glint of metal caught the corner of her eye and Martha spun around and for the second time that night found a gun pointed at her. The cloaked figure was standing there behind her with a gun pointed right at Martha's head.

Martha's eyes widened in alarm at the gun pointed at her. "Move," a harsh female voice said from under the cloak, "we have to get out of here before they catch me, and I can't afford you blathering to them about. So move or die!"

Looking at the gun Martha decided to gamble, if this mysterious figure was so intent on escaping, and this was the same person that had taken out the sentry, maybe she could help her and the Doctor. Martha stepped back revealing the crumpled form of the Doctor lying behind her, highlighted by the faint light from the complex. "I can't, he's too heavy to carry by myself. If you help me, we might be able to get him out of here." Martha sought her captor's eyes underneath the hood, but was unable to find the gleam of eyes staring back at her, for figure's eyes were frozen, locked onto the Doctor's face.

A sharp intake of breath came from underneath the hood but it was impossible to read her captor's face because of the shadowing hood. The silence stretched between the two, the figure was all but frozen. Suddenly, the gun disappeared underneath the enveloping cloak. "Yes, I'll help you. I have a camp about two miles that way," she gestured with a shake of her head to the north, "You can tend to your friend's injuries there, then you must go. This is no safe place for a young girl like you." Martha bridled at the "young girl comment" but made no response.

In two quick strides she crossed the distant between her and the Doctor, leaving Martha blinking at the sudden change in her captor's actions. The figure took one of the Doctors arms and lifted him to his feet with a grace that Martha envied. His head lolling and the blood soaked bandages around his middle the Doctor was a pitiful sight, Martha felt her heart squeeze in her chest. "Well are you going to help me or just stand there?" the figure's harsh voice knocked Martha out of her thoughts.

Wearily stumbling over to where they stood Martha took the Doctor's other arm and took her share of the Doctor's weight. Thankfully the stranger was a bit taller than Martha, so she bore only a fraction of the Doctor's weight. Between the two of them, they made fairly good time. Only having to stop when Martha stumbled and fell, which happened more and more often into their trek.

"How much farther," Martha panted, "until we reach camp?" She struggled to rise after she had tripped for what felt like the hundredth time.

"Not much farther, only over the next rise. Can you make it, or do you want me to go on ahead with him?" The figure said, standing over Martha. The Doctor sagged in her grip, his pale face reflecting the faint light of the crescent moon.

"Go, I'll be fine. He needs to taken care of." Martha struggled to her feet as the stranger amazed her once again by hefting the Doctor's limp form over her shoulder and jogging off into the darkness.

"Bloody hell that woman really works out," Martha muttered to the darkness. She stumbled after the figure. Five minutes later, Martha found herself at the edge of a clearing with a flickering fire glowing welcomingly in the middle. The figure knelt over the Doctor's supine form, back to Martha, obscuring her actions. Martha stepped on a twig; a resounding crack startled the figure; who spun about.

Martha could see grey linen bandages held loosely in the woman's hand. As the wood settled in the fire a glint of gold hair was visible for an instant underneath the hood before shadows swallowed the strangers face. "Glad to see you made it," the harsh voice sounded honestly glad to see her, "This wound is bad, fortunately it missed his stomach and major internal organs but he's lost a lot of blood. There's something else going on but I can't tell what, he's an abnormally high fever that doesn't mesh with blood loss. Do you know what they did to him in there?"

Startled by the medical monologue from the terse spoken stranger it took a fatigued Martha a moment to respond. "No, by the time I got to him he was already a delirious. In the cells they gave him a sedative, but that wouldn't account for the fever. That man, Barker, said something…I don't remember, it's all so fuzzy. In our escape from the complex he was shot by a guard. After that, he hung in there for a little while before dropping into unconsciousness. He hasn't woken since then besides the occasional moan. Let me take a look at that," She said grabbing the bandages from the woman's hand. In way of a half hearted apology she muttered, "I _am_ a doctor."

Kneeling by the Doctor's side Martha peeled back her hasty bandages which the stranger had already unwrapped. The wound was crusty with dried blood and as she pulled back the bandages new blood pooled. She took the supplies that the stranger offered her and bandaged the Doctor properly. If only she had access to the TARDIS with all of her wonderful medical tools, but the TARDIS was another eight miles and on the other side of the compound judging by the stars. Neither Martha nor the Doctor was in any condition to make it there tonight.

All she could do for the Doctor was stabilize the wound, provide fluids, and hope that he made it through to morning.

OOOOOOO

The Doctor floated through a world of pain. A knot of it rested in his stomach and ribbons of fire ran through his blood. He could feel the aspirin at work on his body, shutting down his internal organs. He tried to isolate it in the secondary organs to protect the primary ones, but every time he tried waves of pain would overcome his concentration. He was trapped, without the option of regeneration; the poison coursing through his body blocked even that path. If he died now he would be dead permanently.

Sometimes he thought he could hear Martha's voice through the darkness and a strange harsh voice that sounded vaguely familiar, but he couldn't place it. He knew he should be there to help Martha; she was struggling to help him after all. He was distantly aware of motion, that he should move his legs, but he was just too tired. With every beat of his hearts his strength flowed out of him.

OOOOOOO

Martha sat back on her heels; she had done all she could for the Doctor. She had cared for the wound but something else was at work in his body, something that she couldn't identify or do anything about without the TARDIS.

Leaving the Doctor on his makeshift bed, she wandered over to the stranger on the other side of the fire, making soup in a battered pot. Despite her depleted state she was desperate for answers. She had trusted this mysterious women with the Doctor's life and she still wasn't sure whether that was the proper choice or not. The stranger still hadn't taken off her cloak and even in the light of the fire Martha couldn't make out her features besides the occasional flash of gold hair.

Spooning out soup into a bowl the women handed it to Martha, "Eat up; you'll need your strength tomorrow to evade the patrols."

Martha wolfed down the soup, without question the figure offered her more, with what Martha thought was an amused smile playing behind the shadows. By the time she had finished her forth bowl of soup Martha felt the exhaustion she had fought for so long start to overwhelm her. Fighting to keep her eyes open she sat by the fire, the stranger sitting opposite her. "Who are you?" Martha blurted out, breaking the heavy silence.

"No one of consequence," the figure seemed to fold in on herself, deflecting Martha's question.

"Hardly, I heard them talk about you. You took out their sentries, broke into the place and made it out alive. I wouldn't call that 'no one'. Where did you learn that kind of skill?" Martha probed, not giving up so easily. "At least tell me your name so I can thank you properly."

The silence stretched on, the figure seemed to stare off into the trees behind Martha's head. "My name is Martha Jones, and the man over there is the Doctor." Martha offered.

The stranger seemed to pause before saying, "I know," before sinking back into silence which stretched on, wearing on Martha's tired mind.

Finally she snapped, "Bloody hell, I put our lives in your hands, and hell I 'm grateful, I really am, but trust is a two way street. So tell me, cryptic comments aside. Who the heck are you?!" Martha shouted to the night, her belittled patience run out.

This time the silence rang in Martha's ears for minutes before the figure stirred. The harsh voice was deadly quiet. "Martha Jones, you speak as a child does, full of anger and fury. I know what it's like, I was young once, but if you really want to know, you are opening up Pandora's Box, and hope isn't necessarily at the bottom."

"I'm not Pandora. I know when to leave things be, but you've got us at your mercy. All I ask is a name, or just something to call you would be fine."

"A name is a powerful in the right hands, but you're right, you're my guests in this section of the woods so it would be rude of me not to offer something in return. As you have been so gracious to share your name." With a quick motion the figure ripped back her hood.

Martha stared and the stranger stared back. Blond hair was pulled back in a tight bun on top of her head, and a youthful face with red cheeks gave a cherubic impression. The impression was ruined by a jagged scar across her neck. Puckered scar tissue caught the fire light. The firelight highlighted the sharp planes of the stranger's face and steel eyes glared into Martha's soul. Of the face, the eyes held Martha's attention; they were incongruities in an otherwise youthful face. They were the Doctor's eyes, brown orbs flecked with gold, old beyond count. They had seen the turning of the stars and the death of worlds and still they survived.

"My name is of no import, but you may call me Lupus. I guess that's a good as name as any for me now," Lupus broke from Martha's gaze to look over at the Doctor. "You ask for clear answers, but you'll have to bear with me, for there are none to easily give. I knew the Doctor in my youth, but time and space separated us for what I thought was all of eternity. Apparently not," A wry smile broke across her face. Her smile broke, to be replaced by a sad, longing gaze at the Doctor's still form. "I'm glad to see that he has moved on, and that he has someone like you to care for him. Is he still getting into trouble?"

Rocked to her core by this strange woman's pronouncement, Martha brought herself back to reality she responded unthinkingly, "Yes, I think it's impossible for him not to, it must be genetic. How long did you know the Doctor?"

"Two years, the best two years of my life, but that was ages and ages ago. Another world away," her voice broke and a tear silently made its way down her face. She turned away to stare off into the night. Martha was surprised, not expecting an answer.

Only two years with him, two years…why did that ring a bell? The doctor, a blonde companion, and they were separated by time and space, it couldn't be…yet, it all made a sort of sense. "Rose? Rose Tyler?"

Lupus whipped around flinty eyes locking onto Martha's. "What did you say?" She whispered the whites around her eyes visible in the flickering light.

"Are you Rose Tyler, the Doctor's companion?" Martha asked again to the shocked woman.

"Yes, I am, but how did you know? It's been so long, I thought…I thought no one would remember." She said in a stunned voice.

"It's only been a year; well two, if you count the year that never was," Martha said excitedly, "He told me about you, hell, he wouldn't ever stop talking about you. Rose this and Rose that, and 'If Rose were here she would know exactly what to say'. I nearly wanted to sock him a few times for it…" Martha trailed off into silence as she noticed the saddened look on Rose's face. "What is it?"

"I thought he would move on, forget me. Oh, Doctor, what have I done?" Rose completely broke down. Martha moved to her side, wrapping the grief-stricken Rose in her arms. Swallowing her tears Rose moved back from Martha's embrace, crushing her feelings with a well-practiced motion.

"What happened to you on the other side of the void? The Doctor said that you were happy, you had your mum and dad, and even your old boyfriend."

"It's been 130 years Martha, 130 years and so much has changed since I last saw him. It was five years after I lost him that the darkness came, the darkness that ate the sun and the moon. I could only watch as the human race fought and burned. All the effort that we'd put forth to protect ourselves from judgment day failed within hours, they were just too strong." Rose lapsed into silence, old eyes looking out a youthful face, her gaze seeking the cold light of the moon. "My family died that day, first Jackie and young Roger, Pete and Mickey were burned in the fires of London. I was left alone, in the smoldering wreck of Torchwood. Humanity became nothing more than a few scattered enclaves, our world a burned husk. For 125 years I lived in darkness, no stars, no moon, no sun. That was their way of keeping the human race subdued, no armed forces or space ships, just ignorance and darkness..." She shuddered, seeking comfort in the distant stars.

"Rose, you don't have to tell me, I understand. I lived a year that never was, some things are just too horrible to tell." Martha softly spoke to the shadowed figure across the fire.

"No, I need you to tell the Doctor, so when he wakes he'll know why he can't come back for me. I need you to tell him," she repeated almost to herself, "why he has to forget me."

Silence fell, the crackling of the fire the only sound in the empty wilderness. From his makeshift bed the Doctor groaned, his fever spiking. Martha rose and walked over to his tortured frame, checking the bandage on his abdomen. The bleeding has slowed; the red stain had stopped spreading across the grey linen. As she checked, the word 'darkness' echoed around in her head, why was that so important? Martha shook her head, she was to tired to fathom the mystery tonight. Reassured that she had done all she could she returned to Rose and the fire.

After a moment she spoke again, "We called them the Tenebres, French for darkness," she gave a strangled laugh, "One thing the french did do before they were vaporized was to give our enemy a name, if not a face. We never saw their faces. We didn't know how to fight back. The only thing scanner at Torchwood was able to tell us before the tower was destroyed was we were surrounded by a cloud of dark matter, radiating an energy signature off the scale. How do you fight darkness? You can't. Dark beams shot down out of an azure sky, anyone in range simply...vanished. Gone, never to be seen again, believe me, I tried my hardest to find them. The darkness spread, devouring all in its path. Jackie and Roger were in the park, he was only four…" she stumbled into silence again, this time it stretched on longer as she seemed lost in memory.

"How did you survive?" Martha asked gently, breaking the silence.

"The time vortex, the same thing that kept me alive all those years, I guess. I look good for 149 don't I," she laughed softly, "The beams seemed to avoid me. When I approached one, it shrank back. I think something left from the heart of the TARDIS is poison to it. Not that it ever helped me, for 125 years I wandered the earth, I lost so many friends in that time. Whatever about my immortality that protected me didn't extend to those who I traveled with. I understand the Doctor better than ever. 'I have to watch you wither and die, while I live on' he said to me once, now I understand what he meant. I can't abandon my world; there are too many people who need me there. If I stop fighting I loose the reason to live. I have to fight the Tenebres for as long as I have breath in my body, for the hope that I might see the light again. Humanity is finished, but I have to protect what remains from the dark. If he asks me to stay, I won't be able to say no. So I have to leave before he regains consciousness. If I can I will help you get him back to the TARDIS but if the rift becomes active I have to go, I found something here that might defeat the Tenebres, and I can't deprive my world of that."

"Rose...no hold on Rose, don't let go...," Martha jumped at the Doctors sudden exclamation; she turned to face his shadowed form and saw that he was caught in the throws of a nightmare. Rose flinched and turned to face the woods. Martha crouched by his side feeling his fevered brow.

"Hold on Doctor," Martha said, "just hold on. We'll get you back to the TARDIS as soon as possible."

Rose gestured at Martha to return to the fire, "There's nothing we can do now; the patrols are looking for us. We'll have to wait until dawn to make a run for the TARDIS." Her steel mask had slid over her face again.

Martha returned to her seat. Poking at the fire she sought to break the uncomfortable silence, "When you referred to the rift, there was one on your side as well? The reason we came to the complex in the first place was to close it from this side. But why would you have any interest in it?"

Rose nodded, "I first ran into rifts in Cardiff, it was a natural rift, and we closed it in 1869. Well, a girl call Gwyneth did. The rift here is made by scientists poking where they don't belong. In my dimension I noticed the rift, at first I thought it was a new attack from the Tenebres but after a while I realized what it was, a rift between dimensions. I knew that if it remained open that it would destroy both universes, the same way the rift in London almost did," her voice became strained, "I came through to close it, and by chance I found the way to destroy the Tenebres in that complex."

Martha was a little scared of the look that graced Rose's eyes at the end of the pronouncement, madness shone in her there. Quickly as the madness appeared it was repressed as Rose continued in a softer tone, "I didn't think this was the dimension from which I came, there are so many out there. What were the chances I would end up here again?" She shook her head sadly, "I put the Doctor behind me over a hundred years ago. At first I hoped that he would show up and save me from the nightmare, but now, it would just be too cruel. I can't ever go back to that carefree life. I've seen too much. Whenever I close my eyes, I see the world burning, burning in a glorious darkness."

Martha tried to stifle a yawn but failed and her face nearly split in two. Rose broke from her reverie to Martha's plight, "Go to sleep, I can watch the Doctor through the night, you look on death's doorstep."

Martha lost the fight to stay awake a soon as she put her head down, before she knew it comforting blackness welcomed her.

_F/N: I hope you enjoyed the long chapter. If you feel motivated I would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks._


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: Next installment, again longer than usual for me. Any thoughts or comments are welcome, even if you don't really have anything to say. Thank you sooo much for the alerts, favorites, and reviews. Enjoy! _

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who in this chapter or the ones before it and probably won't for the next one as well

Chapter Six:

After she was sure that Martha had lost herself in sleep Rose got up and stood over the Doctor still form. As she had told Martha, she had given up on the Doctor saving her over a century ago but a small part of her had refused to give up on him. She knew the longer that she stayed the harder it would be to say goodbye. That small part was still the young girl who loved adventure, loved the Doctor, but that girl had been dead for a long time. She had to steel herself against the darkness. She couldn't give up on Marie, Isabelle, and Rick, her three young ones. They needed her if they were to survive in that world of darkness; they also deserved to see the light of the sun.

She knelt, reaching out to touch the Doctor's cheek, sweat shining on his pale skin. "Oh, Doctor, what have they done to you? You still think of me as a young innocent girl, happy with her family. I won't deprive you of that image. I know that sometimes you need illusions to get through life." Fumbling for a chain around her neck she pulled out the TARDIS key. It glowed with a faint golden light, indicating after so long the presence of the TARDIS and the Doctor. At first she had checked the key constantly but as the years passed it had faded from her mind. She hadn't though to check when she passed over into this world. "I love you Doctor, I always will, and nothing can change that." She said to the motionless figure below her.

She thought she could see a faint smile curve on his dreaming lips and as she turned towards the fire preparing for a long night she heard his response, "Quite right too..." A silent tear made a lonely path down her cheek.

OOOOOOOO

Martha awoke to the sound of chirping birds and to the sound of a woman crying. The faint dawn light met her eyes, looking through the dusky light she saw Rose staring at the sky. Groggy from her night on the hard ground Martha rose unsteadily to her feet and walked over to the oblivious Rose.

Tears tracked down from puffy eyes, eyes that radiated profound joy. Rose turned to Martha a radiant smile spread across her face, "The sunrise, Martha, the sunrise, isn't it the most beautiful thing you have ever seen?"

With dawning realization Martha looked at Rose, "This is the first light you have seen in over a hundred years?"

"Yes, 125 years in darkness, now I feel like a young girl again. This reminds me of my trip to New New York, the sunlight there made everything look so real," She turned back to the sky, basking in the weak sunlight poking through the trees. Martha quelled the urge to share her own story of New New York, she sensed that the fact that the Doctor had returned to old haunts with a new companion would be too much for fragile Rose.

Leaving Rose to her simple pleasures Martha went and checked on the Doctor. He was still unconscious, his skin cool to her touch. His breath was shallow, and upon checking Martha only found one heart beating. Smoothing his damp hair back from his brow she frowned, "I have to get you to the TARDIS, we can't wait any longer can we."

She hated to bring Rose back to reality but the Doctor needed her. "Rose, we have to move the Doctor now. Patrols or no patrols, I don't think he can last much longer."

Rose nodded, and with business like efficiency she broke the camp, stuffing her bag full and swinging it onto her back. Her business expression was back in place. "I hope you're well rested Martha Jones because we've a long day ahead of us."

OOOOOOOO

In the sunlight Martha could see the damage 125 years had wrought on Rose, the scar at her throat was the most obvious but thin white scars dotted her exposed arms. The years had been hard on Rose Tyler; she had a lean edge. All that was soft had been burned away leaving a wiry toughness. She was dressed in a simple canvas outfit underneath her enveloping cloak, and stains dotted its grimy surface. Battered hiking boots served to protect her feet. In the sunlight she looked more like a wandering vagabond than the threatening figure of the night before. The only obvious indication of the damage she could do was the gun poking from underneath her left arm and the coiled readiness of a hunting cat of her figure. She grinned wryly at Martha, "Not much to look at am I?"

Martha blushed, "Was it that obvious?"

"No, but after living for this long you learn to read people pretty well. You have to, to survive." She paused as if lost in memory, and then with a resolute expression she looked down at the form at her feet. "Come, help me with the Doctor." She bent down, grabbing a limp arm. She motioned to Martha to grab the other. Between the two of them they hoisted the Doctor to his feet. "Not slacking off on the jelly babies has he?" Rose said with a mock cheerfulness through gritted teeth.

"Nope," Martha grunted in reply, "I keep telling him to though, for occasions like this when I have to haul his sorry body through the forest." She flashed Rose a strained smile.

"Let's go, he isn't getting any lighter," was the strained response. Together with the Doctor between them they resolutely strode off towards the TARDIS.

OOOOOOOO

Three hours later they were only three miles closer to the TARDIS. Five minutes ago they had heard a patrol crashing through the woods and had been forced to hide in a hollow of a fallen tree. They were pinned, with no choice but to wait as the patrol blundered through the woods close to their hiding spot. Martha gritted her teeth, impatient to be moving. They were both aware the Doctor could hold on for only so long, and that time was steadily decreasing. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, the sound of the patrol faded away.

Cautiously they emerged, like startled rabbits, ready to go to ground at the slightest movement. A twig cracked to their left and Rose, fast as thought, whipped out her gun, aiming at the sound. Motioning for Martha to fall behind her she stepped forward, leaving the Doctor sagging in Martha's arms. Quietly she approached the sound, gently moving the underbrush Martha could see her tense body relax, "Only a squirrel," in way of explanation to Martha.

"Thank God." Martha breathed a sigh of relief. Looking at the gun still held loosely in Rose's hand she asked, "Can you kill with that thing? I mean, have you killed anyone?"

"Only if I have to," Rose said flatly, "the world from which I come from is not full of harmless people. In the age of darkness people do whatever needs to be done to stay alive. I've shot men who would have killed me and my companions without a second though merely for the shoes on our feet."

"Oh," Martha lapsed into silence. The girl she had heard about from the Doctor seemed so innocent next this hardened woman, and yet the girl had wiped nearly the entire race of Daleks from existence. So what was the woman capable of?

A sudden smile broke out on Rose's face, exactly as the Doctor did when he tried to distract Martha from his true feelings, "Let's talk of happier things. While we haul his body across the forest tell me what you've been up to with the Doctor." She walked over and took her share of the Doctor's weight.

So Martha told Rose of her adventures as they heaved the Doctor through the dense underbrush. It took nearly two hours but by the time she had finished Martha could see a newfound respect in Rose's eyes. Rose had only interrupted once, she had gasped at Martha's mention of Jack in the group that had traveled to the end of the world. Martha had looked questioningly at Rose but she had motioned for Martha to continue her story. Martha finished with a rough account of how the trio of them had ended up in the complex.

"So you got to wander the world alone for a year, telling the decimated population of the Doctor, and then they promptly forgot him?" Rose asked, summing up her entire final adventure with the Doctor in one sentence.

Martha nodded, "How typical," Rose muttered. "You're one tough girl. I'm glad that you survived; the Doctor deserves someone like you by his side to keep him out of trouble. You and Jack can keep him honest."

They fell into a companionable silence. Martha was lost deep in thought. Here was the woman the Doctor clearly loved with all his hearts. At one point she would have been wracked with jealousy but Martha couldn't find it within herself to feel jealous of Rose, they both had been through to much. She had seen what life with the Doctor meant, and she knew that she would miss it, but it couldn't be her life. She had her fill of aliens with UNIT, and her family needed her. A small part of her would always love the Doctor unconditionally, but for the most part she had moved on. Rose on the other hand needed the Doctor as he once needed her. She had seen her world burn, just as he had. Just as she had drawn him back to sanity, she needed him to do the same. The madness burned behind her eyes, lurking just out of sight, but Martha could see it there. She had been around the Doctor and had learned to recognize the signs.

Without warning, a black-suited patrol appeared in front of them, appearing from a trail that crossed theirs. Martha froze at his sudden appearance, but Rose jumped in front of the two, knocking Martha and the Doctor back. She drew her gun but before she could shoot the guard, he collapsed, a small hole appearing in his forehead and the sound of a shot ricocheting through the autumn woods. As the guard fell over, a surprised look on his face, Rose came face to face with none other than Captain Jack Harkness, gun still raised. "Jack!" she cried a look of utter surprise on her face.

"Rose?" he cried, a comparable look on his face, "is that really you?"

She nodded, and Jack swept her up into a passionate kiss. After she recovered from the double shock she gently disengaged from his embrace. "Happy to see me I take it?"

"Yes, the Doctor told me what happened to you, but how did you make it back?" He took a stepped back, and really looked at her. At the sight of her battered form and a gun in her hand, his brow creased in concern. "What happened to you?"

Rose's expression sobered, "A long story, Jack, one that'll have to wait. We have to get the Doctor back to the TARDIS, I don't think he can even regenerate out here without major risk. Martha?" She turned to Martha, seeking a second opinion, but the medical student, supporting the Doctor, looked rather dazed. As Martha opened her mouth to respond Rose cut her off, suddenly business-like, "Never mind, let's gets out of here. Jack, can you take the Doctor's other side from Martha? She has had almost a hard time of it as the Doctor."

Gratefully Martha slid out from underneath the Doctor's arm as Jack took her burden from her. Between the Rose and Jack, with Martha walking ahead choosing the best path they made good time. Within the hour they were within hailing distance of the TARDIS, Rose's key was glowing softly under her shirt. Unfortunately between them and the TARDIS stood ten or so guards, trying to breach the mysterious Police Box.

Jack's brow furrowed, looking at Rose and Martha he saw similar looks of concern on both their faces. Upon sighting the patrol all four of them had dropped to the ground, hiding. As they watched, Jack gestured to get their attention he put his finger to his lips, indicating silence. They both nodded at him, and he crawled away. Rose looked at Martha in confusion but Martha just shrugged, she had some idea where this was headed and she thought it wouldn't be pretty.

After Jack had traveled twenty paces from his hidden companions, he stood calling to the guards, "Oi! I was wondering if you good gentlemen could help me with a little problem I was havi-" Before he even finished his sentence his body was riddled with bullets. The guards ran towards his fallen body, leaving a clear path to the TARDIS.

Before she could help herself, Rose gave a little gasp. Martha glanced at her, she must not know, she realized. Martha pulled on Rose's pack, gesturing silently at the Doctor's prone form, then at the TARDIS. Swallowing her emotions in a practiced manner Rose nodded and picked up one of the Doctor's arms. Together they ran full-tilt at the TARDIS. Upon reaching the door, Rose fumbled at her neck for her key. Scrabbling wildly, she fit the key in the lock hearing the startled cries behind her as the guards noticed them. Rose nearly fell as the door swung open suddenly, behind her Martha stumbled in with the Doctor. Before Rose could rise to close the door a silhouette appeared, and the battered form of Captain Jack lurched in, slamming the door behind him. Sounds of the outside world were cut off, to be replaced by the gentle hum of the TARDIS.

All three let out a sigh in unison. Martha carefully rose to her feet, she grabbed at Jack's arm, getting his attention, "Help me move the Doctor to the infirmary," she said softly into his ear. Confused at her quiet tone, he looked around until he spotted a kneeling form of Rose, rocking back and forth at the base of the TARDIS console, weeping silently. Nodding, he bent and gently picked the Doctor up in his arms.

As soon as they were out of ear shot of the control room Jack looked at Martha over his lifeless burden. "What's happened to her? How did she make it back across the void?"

Taking a left towards the infirmary doors Martha looked back over her shoulder, "I think that's something she has to tell you herself. She only gave me a brief story last night, but she's lived a hard life Jack, she and the Doctor have a lot in common now." She left it at that as they entered the pristine white expanse of the infirmary.

"Put him there," Martha told Jack, pointing at a bed, she was in her element now. Grabbing several pieces of equipment from the shelf by the bed she bent over the Doctor. She hooked his thin form up to the alien form of an IV and over the next fifteen minutes she took account of his battered form. The most glaringly obvious threat was the bullet, it had missed his internal organs but he had lost more blood than he could comfortably lose. The Doctor risked going into shock if he lost any more fluids. Something else was going on with him, she knew that much. Bending over the test results she noticed that there was something in his blood that shouldn't be there if her scanty knowledge of Time Lord biology was correct. Looking at the compound she tried to remember where she had seen it before. "That's aspirin, but why would he have aspirin in his system, and why is his body reacting like that?" she muttered to the room in general. "Unless, he's allergic to it. Which would explain the histamines." Martha's mouth narrowed to a thin line. She couldn't do anything for an allergic reaction, all she could do was wait and see if the Doctor pulled through. She didn't know what would happen if he attempted to regenerate with aspirin in his system, but she guessed it wouldn't be pretty. She looked around for Jack, only to find him gone.

Martha was loathe to leave the Doctor, but he was stable and the TARDIS could alert her if his status changed. Right now she needed to tell the others of the Doctor's condition. She headed back towards the control room, only to find it empty. She heard voices coming from a nearby room. Following them she found herself in a section of the TARDIS she had never seen, it was a tropical garden, complete with water feature. She found Jack and Rose sitting by the water talking quietly.

"-I lost so many people Jack, I know how the Doctor feels loosing companions, they die and leave him all alone," She said, her voice heavy with sorrow.

"Martha, how's the Doctor?" Jack asked, looking up at her soft footfalls

"He's stable; the gunshot wound is the least of his problems though. They gave him aspirin in the complex, his biology is highly allergic to it. So in addition to recovering from the gunshot, he's also trying to recover from anaphylactic shock. Being the TARDIS should help him, but I don't know. We'll have to wait; ironically time is the best healer he could have." Martha finished with a sigh.

"I told Jack what I've been through, the Tenebres, and what I am doing here. But what I want to know is how you, Jack, came back from the dead out there?" Rose stated from her position, wrapped in blanket, nestled in a chair. She no longer looked like the hardened woman of the woods, but rather a vulnerable 19-year-old.

"A long story, but it's all thanks to you. When you brought me back to life on Satellite five you brought me back permanently. As the Doctor put it, I'm a fact of existence. I'm getting older but I cannot die."

"I guess I didn't make it very clear in my retelling did I," Martha interjected, tiredly taking a chair opposite of Rose.

"I heard you but I don't think I comprehended it. So Jack, you're similar to me. I can die and be hurt but I don't age, combine us and you would have the perfect being," she smiled tiredly at the thought and then forged ahead. "Being back on the TARDIS is something I didn't expect, not in a million years. You both have been wonderful, but I'm not part of this world any longer. As soon as I am rested, I have to leave. The rift will open soon and I have to take my answers back to my world, so I can defeat the Tenebres." She softened her hard statement with a quiet apologetic smile.

"Rose, I can't let you go alone, neither will the Doctor when he wakes up. You're part of a larger family, and we won't let you go off on your own into danger." Jack said firmly taking her hand. Martha nodded in agreement.

"Don't you understand? This," she spread her hands to encompass the entire scene before her, "this is what I wanted to avoid. I can't let you get involved in my fight. You belong here, in this universe, living your life, having extraordinary adventures. So much has changed for me; I don't belong in your world any more. Even being here is eroding my resolve. Seeing the Doctor, talking to you, being in the TARDIS, it's all not real. I fit in a world of darkness, not this," she gestured wildly around her in frustration. She sprang from her chair and stalked off into the garden.

"We can't let her go," Martha said to Jack, concern layered her voice, "she'll kill herself. I don't think she is entirely sane, like the Doctor, there's a madness hiding underneath. They need each other more than they know. You knew the Doctor before and after she was lost. Don't you notice that he is getting darker? He needs her there by his side. She was the one thing that kept him from going insane after the time war."

"I don't think we can stop her, she feels that she has to protect her world. She needs to fight those that took everything from her." Jack said sadly, "I think the best we can do is to hold on to her as long as possible and hope the Doctor wakes before she does something suicidal."

In the darkness Rose heard her friends try desperately to keep her from her mission. She knew that they were only trying to do what they thought was right, but she was a different person than the one they remembered. Maybe she was insane, she didn't know, but that couldn't, and wouldn't, stop her from doing what she had to do. Her resolve to leave was almost broken, seeing the Doctor awake, would break it completely, and that she understood instinctively.

Footsteps sounded behind her. She turned to find Jack standing behind her, still dressed in his blood stained shirt. "Rose, you need rest. From what Martha tells me you've been up for nearly 24 hours. Sleep, and we can talk again in the morning." She nodded knowing that nothing she could say would change his mind. "Martha's with the Doctor and will let us know if anything changes. Come on; let's go find you a bed." He took her hand and she let him lead her away towards her bedroom.

The TARDIS hummed gently in the background as Jack led her to her room. Upon reaching the familiar door she stopped and turned to face Jack. She looked into his eyes and smiled at the familiar face of her friend, "Good night Captain Jack." She stepped backwards into her room and gently shut the door, leaving Jack standing in the corridor.

With the door shut she slid slowly to the floor, head in her hands. Tears leaked out her eyes as she struggled with her emotions. In the darkness emotions could get you killed, and here, in this safe environment, they were even more deadly. She couldn't allow them to break her painstakingly wrought shell that kept the cares of the world at bay. Each gentle act, a kind word, was slowly bringing her back from her ice world. Getting control of herself she looked around her old room and fresh tears trickled down her cheeks.

It stood, untouched, exactly as she remembered it. She felt like she stood in an area that was holy, a shrine to a dead person. The Doctor hadn't changed a single thing in that long year. She could even still smell her perfume on the air.

Stripping off her grimy clothes Rose collapsed onto the comforter covered bed. Fatigued threatened and then overcame her as she lay staring up at the dancing lights of the TARDIS.

_F/N: If you feel so inclined I would love to hear from you, it truly would make my day! Thank you so much._


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: Not much to say, as always reviews/suggests/comments are welcome. Thank you to all of those who have already reviewed, added to the alert list or, favorited the piece, it means a lot to me. Enjoy!_

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who 

Chapter Seven:

The Doctor felt the warm touch of the TARDIS easing back the fire in his veins, combating the poison that was slowly killing him. After what felt like an eternity he was able to end the quarantine of his organs that had kept him alive for so long. A liquid strength was flowing back into his body. He knew that Martha and Jack had managed to get him back to the TARDIS. The dark cloak of unconsciousness still covered his mind but he was lucid for the first time in days, since the men in the complex had filled him full of aspirin.

He roved like a tiger in a cage, waiting until his body could support consciousness again. He wanted to know if Martha and Jack as well, he also wanted to know who that mysterious woman had been, the one who voice had sounded so familiar. With painstaking slowness awareness returned to the Doctor's body. He mustered his energy and plunged towards the surface, breaking through the black into the white light of the TARDIS infirmary.

"Martha," he croaked, "Jack, are you there?" Shapes still danced, blurry at the edges of his vision. He struggled to make out anything in the fog that still threatened him. A dark shape that he took to be Martha appeared in his range of view.

"It's me, Martha. I'm here, you're back in the TARDIS. You're still pretty weak so try and get some rest." The Martha-shape told him. He wanted to point out that he already knew that, but his grip on consciousness was waning.

"The woman's voice…the one with you earlier…sounded…familiar…who?" he managed to grunt out before he lost control of his mouth.

A paused followed by an eager statement, "Doctor, she's back, Rose is back!" He drifted farther away, and her words seemed to come from underneath water, or was it him who was dropping further beneath the surface? Did he hear correctly about Rose? Or was she merely listing the virtues of a plant? He couldn't think clearly anymore, the pain was growing stronger and he was growing weaker. With one last sight of Martha's face he sank into darkness.

OOOOOOOOO

Jack stood in the hallway outside of Rose's room, his head cocked to one side listening. Soon her soft sobs had faded, to be replaced with her usual whistling snores. He grinned sadly, some things never changed. Satisfied that Rose had finally found some peace in slumber he went to find Martha in the infirmary. They needed to talk about Rose and the Doctor.

Upon approaching the double doors of the infirmary he paused, he could hear Martha's voice, followed by a much softer murmur. The Doctor was awake, but by the time Jack made it to his side his eyes were already slipping closed.

"What did he say?" Jack asked, sorry that he had missed the chance to see Doctor awake.

"He asked after us, but he also asked about the 'woman's voice', I think he heard Rose while he was unconscious," a grin appeared on her face, "I told him that she's back. I don't know if he heard me but I thought I saw some flash of recognition before he conked out again."

Jack's mobile face turned serious, "I don't know if that was the best idea Martha. From what I can tell they're both are in fragile positions at the moment; the Doctor physically and Rose emotionally. I don't know about the Doctor, but I think the wrong thing said could push Rose over the edge permanently. She seems adamant about the Doctor not seeing her; she planned on leaving before the Doctor woke up."

"But I thought we were in agreement that we can't let Rose go. If she leaves the TARDIS she's bound to die, she holds no respect for her own life anymore. She isn't going listen to us, that conversation in the garden proved it. I think the only person she's only going to listen to the Doctor." Martha looked Jack straight in the eye.

"Yes, I guess you're right. I still don't know if that was the best way to break it to him though, especially for Rose. We don't even know if he heard it, let alone understood it. So I suppose we're back to waiting, and hoping that the Doctor will come to his senses before she leaves us for good." Jack sighed, taking a seat besides the Doctor's bed.

Martha joined him, choosing a chair on the opposite side of the bed. Her long day was catching up with her again; last night's sleep had done little to ease her bone aching tiredness. The chair was far from comfortable but she was too tired to care. Soon the steady ring of the TARDIS' heart monitor, Jack's humming, and her own fatigue overwhelmed her and she slept.

Jack watched as Martha lost the fight against sleep, her head sagging onto her chest. She hadn't had an opportunity to change out of her travel stained clothes, a thin top and battered jeans. Looking down at himself, Jack chuckled, he was far from presentable either, the blood of his last death still stained his shirt. "Death is not a clean business, is it Doctor," he said to the still form beside him. "You know that better than most."

Sighing he leaned back in the chair, his day had been far from short either. After escaping from the complex early that morning he had traveled several miles to meet up with Rose and Martha. Looking at the Doctor he reassured himself that the Doc wasn't going anywhere and closed his eyes. Almost instantly sleep descended; an old wartime trick for catching cat naps in the middle of battle.

OOOOOO

The Doctor's mind paced, back and forth, he wanted to know what Martha had meant, 'Rose is back'. Was she back from beyond the void? What had happened while he was unconscious? He desperately wanted to know, but his body refused to cooperate. He was still exhausted from his last foray into the land of the living. It would be some time before he could open his eyes again.

To pass the time he ran his mind over his treasured memories of his time with Rose, the end of the world, holding her hand as they ran across the meadows of New Earth, fighting by her side to defeat countless monsters. He missed her more than he could say. She had been more than just a traveling companion to him; she had been the light in the darkness. Martha and Jack filled the gap she had left in his life, but not completely, some part would always yearn for her radiant smile. If she was truly back, then this would be the happiest day of his life. He would be able to tell her what he had never been able to properly say at Bad Wolf Bay, that he loved her with all his hearts.

The Doctor felt his connection with the TARDIS grow stronger at the back of his mind. She agreed with him, she missed Rose as well, but instead of the usual tone of mourning he felt whenever they thought of Rose, he sensed a bubbling happiness from the TARDIS. Something was making the old girl very happy indeed. He sent a silent query in her direction, but her only response was a sudden inflow of strength to the Doctor, she wanted him to wake and discover it for himself. Not daring to hope the Doctor plunged towards the light again, fighting his way back to consciousness.

OOOOOOOOO

Jack awoke, startled awake by a moan coming from the Doctor. The Doctor's eyes fluttered open and fixed on Jack. The look of hope in his eyes was heartbreaking. "Jack, tell me is Rose really here? Did she make it back through the void?" he urgently whispered, his body unable to support a louder tone.

Jack nodded, not trusting himself to speak. A look of pure joy crossed the Doctor's face. "Where is she? I want to see her, oh Rassilon, Rose is back!" the Doctor looked around the infirmary, as if Rose were hiding behind a bed.

"She's asleep in her room, she had a long day," Jack offered as a half hearted explanation, "I don't know if that's such a good idea at the moment."

The Doctor ignored Jack; all he cared was seeing Rose as soon as possible. He needed to tell her, he needed to tell her that he loved her more than life itself. He levered himself up onto his elbows, a surge of pain radiated from his middle, gritting his teeth he fought past it.

His sudden movement caused Martha to stir, shifting positions in her chair. She was to far gone into sleep to fully waken. He went to swing his feet out over the floor when a hand on his shoulder stopped him. The Doctor looked up into the concerned face of Jack Harkness.

"You can't do this, you're still recovering from a gunshot wound and poisoning. You'll do yourself further harm, Doctor. It can wait until morning," Jack paused, looking apologetic, "She's changed Doctor, it's been a long time for her, and I don't know if she's ready for you to go barging into her room. She broke down at the sight of the TARDIS, imagine what a breathing talking Doctor would do to her."

"What do you mean she's changed?" The Doctor asked, stunned into stillness. "It has been only a year, what happened to her?"

"No Doctor, for her it has been over a hundred years since she last saw you and so much has happened. She needs you now more than ever, but at this point I don't think she realizes it," Jack said softly.

"I want to see her." The Doctor raised a shaking hand to forestall Jack's attempts to interrupt him, "I won't wake her up, I promise. Just take me to her."

"You're in no condition to go anywhere," Jack said with finality.

"I'm going to see her no matter what, either help me or I hurt myself further. It's your choice," the Doctor said stubbornly, swinging his bare feet out onto the floor. The covers pulled back Jack saw that he was dressed in thin pajamas bottoms, his chest bare to the cold. Bandages wrapped around the lower portion of his abdomen, while his ribs were plainly visible. Brown eyed glared determinedly out of a pale face, the last few days had clearly depleted what ever resources the Time Lord had.

The Doctor rose gingerly from the bed, and he swayed as he lost his balance, his legs too weak to support him. Despite this, Jack didn't doubt the Doctor's threat; he would probably crawl to Rose's side if that is what it took. He quickly moved to the Doctor's side, slinging one of the Doctor's arms around his shoulder. Between the two of them they slowly shuffled out the infirmary.

The TARDIS' humming shifted to a concerned tone, with the sound of gears the hallway shimmered, a gold light passing over their heads and down the hall. The Doctor looked up from the task of moving one foot in front of the other, "That was the TARDIS shifting her layout. Rose's door should be the next one on the right."

Jack nodded he had long suspected the TARDIS capable of moving her interior, and steered the Doctor towards the indicated door. With a quiet 'click' the door swung open. The Doctor disengaged his arm from Jack and stumbled forwards towards Rose's sleeping form. The light from the hall fell across her golden hair splayed across the pillow, her back was to them. The Doctor stopped and fell to his knees besides the bed. He reached out to touch her hair but Jack let out a warning hiss and he jerked his hand back.

For what seemed an eternity they two men watch her sleeping form. She muttered in her sleep and turned towards them. The Doctor let out an involuntary gasp as he saw her face. Even in sleep her face was creased with lines of pain, the scar across her neck caught in the light from the hall. "What have they done to you?" He muttered to her sleeping form, unintentionally repeating her words.

At the quiet sound Rose's eyes snapped open, burning with a gold fire. Faster than thought she pulled a knife from under her pillow and held it against the Doctor's throat. Her eyes widened as she saw who she threatened, with a savage gesture retracted the knife and flung it off into the shadowed corner of the room. Her face twisted in a rictus of grief and she growled in a choked voice, "Get out of here." She sprang from her bed and ran to her bathroom, closing the door with a resounding crack.

The Doctor still knelt beside the bed, his hand reaching for the girl that wasn't there, he stared transfixed at the golden play of light on the pillow. He seemed to blink and then muttered a soft phrase underneath his breath, one that made his voice hitch halfway through. Jack stood motionless by the door, watching the Doctor. Slowly he rose to his feet, swaying uncertainly. With great effort he walked, straight backed, over to Jack. In the light Jack could see silent tears streaming down the Time Lord's face. The Doctor savagely wiped the tears from his eyes, "Thank you Jack. I'm ready to return to the infirmary now," he said in a soft voice, quivering with effort.

Back in the hall, the Doctor turned back towards Rose's door. Only now did his control break down, the intensity of the emotions burning in the pale face scared Jack. The greatest measure was a fervent love for Rose, but behind it lurked a cold fury. The Doctor would not allow who ever had done this to his Rose to live for very much longer.

The spare energy the TARDIS had lent him ran out and the Doctor sagged against the wall, he sank to the floor holding his bandaged abdomen. "I think I might have overexerted myself," the Doctor said through gritted teeth. Underneath his hand a growing blossom of red marred the white bandage. Jack strode to his side and for the second time in a very short period picked the Doctor up off his feet.

The gold shimmer passed down the hall again and after a moment of disorientation Jack found himself outside the infirmary doors. "You know I'd enjoy this more if you were missing more of your clothes and your bloody ship would give me some warning before it did that." Jack muttered, the Doctor merely groaned in response.

Jack kicked opened the doors and found himself face to face with a very angry Martha. "What do you think you were doing taking the Doctor out of here? He still could die at any mome-," Martha caught sight of the Doctor and ground to a halt. She immediately gestured to Jack to drop the Doctor on his bed. She pressed a hyponeedle to his arm and started a fluids drip. His fevered eyes stared up at the ceiling, and before closing them, he glanced at Martha, "Thank you Martha."

OOOOOOO

Martha watched as the Doctor drifted in and out of fevered dreams. His fever had returned as his body relapsed. The TARDIS was doing all that she could to help the Doctor but it had returned to a waiting game.

Jack had gone after Rose, leaving Martha alone in the infirmary. She hoped that Jack would be able to calm, from what Jack had told her, a clearly distressed Rose. Her graze dropped to the shivering moaning form below her, "Come on Doctor, hold on, she needs you."

OOOOOOO

Jack tentatively opened Rose's door, no knives flew towards his head, so he opened it further and stepped into the room. In the dim light provided by the hall he bent and picked up her discarded knife, which he placed on her beside table. The door to the bathroom was ajar and a light cut across the room. "Rose, are you there? Can I come in?" He called out, he stood waiting, but no response came.

Jack walked over to the door and pushed it open. Rose sat on the edge of the bathing pool, her face hidden in her hands. "Go away," she mumbled.

"Rose, you can't hide in the bathroom forever, at some point you're going to have to face the Doctor. He loves you, you know." Jack said.

"I know, and that is what makes this so _hard_!" her quiet voice gaining volume, "That's why I wanted to leave. Now, seeing him, it's too much. I lost him once, and I never want to loose him again."

"He's in a bad state right now; his ill-advised trip caused him to relapse. Promise me that you'll at least stay until he's stable, and you two can talk. You owe him that much at the very least," Jack pleaded.

Her face became clouded by guilt, "I will stay, I do owe him that. I'd hoped that it wouldn't come to this, but what do they say about plans, 'they never survive the first battle'. I'll stay as long as I can, but I follow the call of the rift."

"We'll be in the infirmary when you're ready to come. If anything changes I'll come and find you," Jack stood and walked to the door.

Rose watched his retreating back; she really didn't deserve friends like these. She sat for a moment longer before following the path Jack took out into the main room. She had to put her thoughts in order before she was ready to face the Doctor. Somehow she had to convince him that could no longer be part of his life. Pacing, she reflected on her brief time with the Doctor. She couldn't pin point the exact moment which she fell in love with the eccentric Time Lord but there was no doubt that she loved him. Suddenly she had realized, eternity by his side seem a far too short a time span. But that all was lifetimes ago, the Tenebres had taken it from her. A world of darkness required a core of ice. True, ice could shatter, but it was better than feeling the loss as each new companion died in the dark beams. Three young faces swam into view. Her latest batch of young ones had been born under the shadow; she had found them wandering the broken ruins of London. She had to fight the dark for their sakes. Her resolve temporarily shored up, she strode towards the infirmary and the Doctor.

_F/N: Thank you for reading, as above, feel free to review if you feel so inclined. Thanks!_


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: First of all thanks to my wonderful beta _laurajslr, _she is helping avoid the unenjoyable process of editing, so many thanks. She also has some excellent LOTR fics that I would recommend. Second, thank you to all who have reviewed so far, it really makes me quite happy. And many thanks to those who have added this story to their favorites or alerts. Finally, this is the end of what I have written so far so the uploading rate will decrease a little, more like every two days. I am very sorry but so much is going on right now I am having a hard time to fit in writing. Never fear, it shall keep coming. As always I would love to hear from you readers out there, if you feel so inclined. And without further ado, Enjoy!_

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who 

The break of dawn spreading out over the valley found Rose asleep by the Doctor's bedside. Martha and Jack had long ago sought their respective beds, leaving her alone with the sleeping Doctor. Martha had first seen to it that the last of the aspirin was out of his system before retiring to her bed, not far from the infirmary. With the absence of the poison in his veins the Doctor had been able to heal at his normal rate. In the last few hours he had shifted from fevered unconsciousness to true sleep.

While Rose couldn't see the new dawn, her internal clock, long adapted to living in darkness, woke her. She stretched with a huge yawn, glancing around with sleep befuddled eyes. Slowly she realized where she was, and with that realization her gaze darted to the Doctor's face. Rose had come prepared to tell the Doctor of her resolve and then leave, but looking at his pain-filled face she felt her heart melting. With a savage thought she pushed that feeling to the back of her mind, now was no time to give in to that emotion.

She stood, pacing to the edge of the spacious room and back. Minutes passed before she heard the Doctor awake with a small cough. He reached for the glass of water resting by his bed but his grip fumbled, causing the glass to shatter on the floor. Not looking at his face Rose bent and picked up the pieces, meticulously placing the sharp edges into a pile out of the way. When she was done she looked up, finally meeting the Doctor's eyes.

A silent understanding passed between them, they both knew that this was not going to be easy. The Doctor broke the silence first, "How long has it been?"

"A hundred and thirty years and nearly seven months; I stopped counting the days after a few too many times being knocked unconscious made the count rather suspect." She fingered the TARDIS key around her neck, "And yourself, only a year?"

"Well, two and a handful of change if you count the year that never was, but only a few people remember that, I spent most of it trying to tune myself into a satellite network, so I was rather busy…" He faded off, his eyes catching sight of the scar on her neck, the cause of her harsh voice, "What happened to you?"

She caught the direction of his gaze, "The first man I killed; he was after me and some friends. We had supplies he desperately needed to survive. I knew him; he worked under me at Torchwood, but the darkness had turned him insane. He attacked us while we were asleep, cutting my friends' throats as they slept, but he didn't finish me properly. I woke up, and in the struggle the knife ended up in his heart."

A low growl sounded from the Doctor's chest, "I am going to kill them Rose, who ever did this to you. They can't be allowed to get away with it."

"I'm a changed woman, Doctor. He wasn't the last man I had to kill to protect myself. The Rose Tyler you knew is long gone, I am but a shell of her." Her voice was toneless, but the Doctor heard a slight quiver in it at the end of her pronouncement.

"I know. Did you forget that I'm remembered as the killer of my entire race? I know what it's like to lose everything that you loved. After the Time War, I wanted to end it all, but then I found you, my Rose Tyler, and light returned to my world. Will you at least let me do the same for you, let me ease your nightmares as you eased mine?"

Rose shifted slightly, her eyes shining in the harsh light, "Doctor, I can't let you, this is my fight. You called me the defender of the Earth, so let me do my job." She hesitated before choking out, "I can't risk losing you again…I…I love you too much."

"Then let me help you. Remember what you said on Women Wept, Rose? Forever. I came to this place mainly because I realized what they were doing, building a rift, one that might have led back to you." He levered himself into a sitting position, "because if there's one thing that's true about this universe, it's how much I love you Rose Tyler."

The tears that had threatened spilled over Rose's eyes. She shook her head sadly, "I've changed so much. How do you know if that's still true?"

"I will always love you Rose, even if you turned into Jackie Tyler herself." The Doctor wanted to hit himself when he saw the color drain from Rose's face, "Oh Rose, I'm so sorry." He reached out to take her hand but she drew back, shrinking from his touch.

"Her and Roger…the Tenebres killed them in the first attack," she said in a broken voice, "I working at Torchwood when it came, the last thing I said to mum was how silly it was to take Roger to the park when it was raining, and I never saw her again." She fiercely wiped the tears from her eyes, "Pete and Mickey were killed a few days later, after the fires started, they were trying to get people out of London and into the countryside where they could shelter from the beams. They got trapped in a burning building and…they, they burned." A silence stretched between them, broken by her gentle sobbing. Finally she spoke, "I can't…I just can't…"

"Rose, I understand, you don't need to tell me, believe me I know," he said firmly, "I remember how hard it was to tell you about the Time War, do you remember what I did then?"

She nodded, speaking thickly through her tears, "You showed it to me in my mind; a psychic sharing." A hint of the old Rose shone through, "but you're in no condition to be doing something like that. You're barely sitting up; I remember how much it took out of you last time."

"I'll be fine; I'm stronger than I look." As if to press his point home he swung his legs over the side of the bed, bare feet hitting the floor with a small smack. He was now sitting up across from Rose's chair, his hands resting loosely on his lap. "Are you willing to let me to try?"

She nodded, "I want you to know," she said simply. She took his hands and guided them to her temples, remembering from last time. He reached out with his mind towards hers, finding it much easier than last time. A gold fire burned throughout her brain, holding her body in the state of a permanent nineteen year old. It couldn't stop her from dying as it did with Jack, it wasn't concentrated enough, but it did stop her from aging and gave her extraordinary strength and endurance. He realized that he must have missed a little of the time vortex when he had pulled it out of her. The fire reached out for him and pulled his mind deep into her memories.

_Rose ran across the field screaming her brother's name. The park was deserted, all those who still could had fled to the nearest shelter, the rest had vanished when the beam hit. 'Mum, Roger, where are you?' she had called out, a wind rising from nowhere to whip about her hair. A sense of dread rose from the pit of her stomach._

Further.

_This time Rose sat at a desk in the main offices of Torchwood in London. The place was a buzz of activity as people ran desperately around, trying to determine the nature of threat they faced. She was talking to an earnest young man who looked as if he had been through a battle. He was speaking quietly, "Nothing we can do is stopping them. The public is already panicking; there are riots in the streets. I just came from Downing Street, the whole street is ablaze." _

"_Any sign of Pete or Mickey? They were in the area trying to move people out," she said with growing despair; first Mum and Roger, now Pete and Mickey?_

"_If they were there than they're most certainly dead. I'm sorry Rose." _

Further.

_Torchwood again. This time Rose stood outside the building, looking up at Canary Wharf. Around her the city of London was obscured in smoke, the faint flicker of fire could be seen in the distance, and shouting and sirens could be heard far off. It was a battle-zone; in the lower sections of the tower the glass had been shattered. Paper blew everywhere. _

_Looking up, the sky hung heavy with clouds, faint rays of sunlight parted them in places. Without warning a black beam shot through the clouds, hitting the building. It exploded. Deadly glass missiles flew outwards as the floors collapsed downwards. Knocked back by the blast Rose started to fade from consciousness, laying on her back she saw the sky was completely dark. _

Further.

_It was dark, no stars shone in the sky. Rose wound her way through a broken London, holding a bag full of cans in one hand and gun in the other. Max and Sarah were waiting for her. The last time they had eaten had been two days ago, Rose was nearly faint with hunger herself. With the collapse of Canary Wharf eight months ago all semblance of law had faded from the streets. It wasn't now safe to go abroad alone, or travel without a gun. Rose still felt awkward carrying the heavy piece of metal but she knew her life depended on it. _

_She made it back to the hollowed building that they called home. She called out to Max and Sarah, but all she heard was silence. The fire that they had been told to keep going at all times lay dead in the fire pit. Walking into the back room Rose found their small bodies, broken. _

Further. Memories flashed faster.

_More blurred faces, more broken bodies,_

_Rose getting no older, while the world died around her,_

_London decaying, gangs roaming the dark streets,_

_Constant hunger, never enough food to eat,_

_Occasional happy night around the fire,_

_And always darkness._

Further, the gold light pulled him, the memories slowed.

_Despair. She looked at her dead friends, and then the body at her feet, a knife rising from the chest like a lonely mast. His blood covered her clothes, mixing with her own. Pain and weakness overwhelmed her, and she collapsed._

_Wakening to a fire, a soft bandage around her neck. A solitary figure helped her, cared for her as she drifted in and out of a deeper darkness. Another person to loose. _

The light was fading now. Further.

_Cold acceptance as the bullet pierced the highwayman's heart. Watching dispassionately as he tumbled to the ground. Soft cries of fear from behind him ceased; the small child he had threatened was safe. _

The light faded completely.

_A cobbled together sensor hummed in Rose's hand. It detected a rift in the valley; someone from the other side was knocking. They didn't realize the danger that they placed both worlds in. Maybe they could help, or maybe some_thing_ they had could help; she no longer trusted people. _

_Three small faces peered at her when she returned to the cave. "I have to go, stay here. There's enough food to last until I get back." She turned her back on the scared faces and walked towards the rift. _

_The sudden disorientation and pain of transition. Looking up at a dark sky studded with stars. A small trace of hope sneaking into her heart. _

The Doctor gasped as he surfaced, expelled from her mind by the gold radiance. He fell back into the bed, exhausted. Her trance bound form slumped back into the chair; her burning brown-gold eyes could be seen through slightly opened lids.

With his last dregs of strength the Doctor reached up to touch Rose's forehead, "Sleep." Her half-lidded eyes closed and she sank into her first dreamless sleep in over a hundred years. The Doctor watched as her pain lined face smoothed and the face of the girl he remembered surfaced. It was a brief respite, he knew; it would take many years for true healing, but at the moment in his depleted state it was the best he could give her.

His own eyes slid shut, the sight of Rose, golden against the white of the infirmary, was the last thing he saw before he too sank into darkness.

_F/N: Love to hear from you. Thanks!_


	9. Chapter 9

_A/N: Hello there! Thank you so much for all the reviews (21 in all! :D), alerts, and favorites. I am very happy that this many people are enjoying this. Nine chapters and almost 25,000 words later I know I am enjoying this immensely. As far as this chapter goes, I won't ruin it for you all since you _are_ reading this for a plot (at least I hope :D) but I was having trouble keeping four characters in character so especially the person in question, so that is why…well read on to find out! I am sorry for those who are enjoying their presence in this story but where they (the characters and my muses) are headed it will be devilishly difficult to be working with more than three characters. Finally, thank you to my amazing beta _laurajslr, _without her this chapter would be grammatically unsound and full of characters that sound like they are speaking Cassandra's old earth cockney :D, so she has my heartfelt thanks. As always comments/suggestions/or greetings to the monster living under my bed are welcome. Enjoy!_

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who

Chapter Nine: 

The Doctor woke with a small start, he tried to breathe deeply but a weight rested on his chest, blocking its expansion. Becoming more aware of his body he realized that a warm weight nested against it and a golden head lay on his chest. Rose must have crawled over to him during the early morning. He lay still, not wanting to wake her.

He was content watching her peaceful face and the golden light of the TARDIS dance in her hair. The Doctor was truly peaceful for the first time since he had lost his Rose more than a year ago. Now that Rose was by his side he understood just how much he had missed her. Even her presence was healing the ragged wounds of his soul. The Doctor hoped that he could do the same for her. He understood what Rose was feeling, that bottomless pit of despair that made it a struggle even to take the next breath. She had filled her life with an unyielding determination for revenge, but revenge was a double edge sword at the best of times.

Revenge against darkness, Rose had set them up for an almost impossible task. The Doctor had silently vowed, upon seeing his companion, that she wouldn't have to defeat the Tenebres alone. _Tenebres…French for darkness. Wait, darkness…why did that sound familiar? Julius Barker, he had said he was going to defeat Darkness itself, could they truly be the same thing? It had to be, that was why he was opening the rift. It was ironic; the man who had taken one companion from him had also made it possible for his love to return to him._

The sound of a door opening interrupted his thoughts. Martha stood in the door watching the two of them with an odd expression on her face, but in a moment it was gone, and she took up the chair that Rose had recently abandoned. For a moment she just sat there, looking exhausted, then she spoke in a soft whisper so as not to wake the sleeping Rose. "Doctor, Jack's making breakfast in the kitchen. I came to see if you felt up to eating something."

He nodded; the motion elicited a groan from Rose as her pillow moved. Suddenly she sat up, looking around confused. When she grasped her current situation an easy blush appeared on her cheeks. "Sorry," she muttered. Quickly she disengaged herself from the Doctor and came to her feet, her socks making no noise on the tile floor.

"I was just telling the Doctor. Jack's making breakfast, do you want any?" Martha said rising to her feet. "I'm on my way there right now to bring the Doctor something."

"No thank you Martha, I'm afraid that I need to go clean up." She looked down at her wrinkled night clothes. A soft growl emanated from her stomach, and she amended her statement, "I might stop in the kitchen on the way back here."

"Okay then. Doctor I need to check on your injury, do you mind?" Martha hesitated, looking to Rose standing by the door, and then back to the Doctor.

"No, go ahead. You are a doctor." He slowly sat up and allowed Martha to peel back the bandages swathing his midsection. The Doctor's eyes darted to the door where a lost looking Rose stood. "Hmm, a doctor doctoring a Doctor, has nice ring to it. I always did make up the most horrible puns didn't I Rose?"

A small smile played on her lips but no mirth appeared in her tired eyes, "Yes you did. I remember the one…" Her voice faded to silence as her brow furrowed in concentration. Her smile vanished to be replaced by a somber expression. "Actually, I don't remember any of them; it's been too long."

Martha stared at Rose with an open expression of sympathy on her face as she finished redoing the Doctor's bandages. A wince from the Doctor brought her back to her task. "Well you're looking good Doctor. It's almost fully healed; in a few days you'll be back to bouncing around the TARDIS."

"I'm glad to hear that. I have business with Julius Barker and the Tenebres to finish. When you and Jack are done eating can you come back here? I have some things I want to discuss." The Doctor's face turned stony.

"Yeah, I'll bring him. Be right back." Martha left the room, squeezing past the motionless form of Rose who still stood by the door.

With an 'oomph' the Doctor collapsed back onto the pillows and closed his eyes. His face was still lined with tiredness but he no longer looked like a pale specter.

After a moment the harsh voice of Rose cut through the stillness. "You know I won't let you do this, Doctor; this is my fight."

He cracked an eyelid and surveyed her with a penetrating stare. "I know," he said simply, "but that doesn't and won't stop me from helping you. It's still your fight; I'm merely going to help you win it."

"I am going to do this _alone_. I shared my memories with you this morning so that you'd understand why I have to. I'm no longer the Rose Tyler that gazed with wonder on alien shores, laughed in the fields of New New York, or nursed you back to health after you gave your life for mine. I'm a changed woman. One that doesn't fit in your world not matter how much you love her." She was crying again, silent tears splashing down her cheeks.

The Doctor stared at the ceiling, letting Rose's pronouncement echo before speaking. "Rose, I know full well that you're not the same person. No one can go through what you have without changing. But what makes you think that I haven't changed. Rose I spent more than two years missing you. The day I burned up a star for you," his ancient brown eyes shimmered with unshed tears, "that's an experience I never want to repeat."

Rose's beleaguered defenses crumbled and she dropped to her knees sobbing. "Oh D-doctor, it _hurts_…I was alone, always so alone."

"As I was until I met you." He had climbed out of the bed and come to kneel by her side. He reached out to cup her chin and forced her eyes to meet his. "Don't leave me alone again."

Too overwhelmed for speech Rose simply nodded. The Doctor smiled tenderly at her tear stained face and wiped away the falling drops. Rose's sorrow wracked frame was shaking so violently that the Doctor could visibly see her trembling. Without a moment's hesitation he folded her into his arms and held her close, slowly rocking her back and forth. Rose gave into the flood of tears that had been building for a hundred years and buried her head against the Doctor's bare chest.

Eventually Rose's tears slowed and then finally stopped. The Doctor helped her to her feet and guided her over to the bed. He settled himself beside her and wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders. "Sshh, Rose. It's alright." He smoothed back her hair and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead.

A sound caught the Doctor's attention and he looked up to see a very embarrassed Martha holding a tray and a grinning Jack. "You called?" Jack's grin faded to be replaced by a serious expression.

Martha set the tray down on the table beside the bed and sat down in the chair she had recently occupied. Jack followed and perched on another chair; they both were ready to listen.

But it was Rose who spoke first. "I need to get back into that complex. The key to the Tenebres destruction is in there." She held up a hand to forestall her friends' protests, "I won't go in there alone, not if you're willing to come with me. But I will go without you if I must. My companions…I've been gone too long already."

"Rose, you must be crazy. The Doctor barely escaped that place with his life," Jack remonstrated. "We can't let–"

The Doctor cut across Jack's objections. "Jack, I'm going with her. Julius Barker needs to be stopped, permanently. He's ruined too many lives in the pursuit of the Tenebres."

"Wait, the Tenebres. The ones that attacked Rose's Earth and the darkness that Barker was looking for are the same?" Martha asked with a puzzled expression.

"Yup," the Doctor answered, popping the p, "They're the ones he's hunted for so long. I don't know why he's hunting them, but the two have to be the same. The rift was his creation to get at them. I stopped him opening the rift manually but he can still use the natural fluctuations of the rift to get through to the alternate Earth. I can't let a man like him run loose on a world that's already in so much pain. As I said; he has to be stopped."

Rose searched both solemn faces. "So, will you come?"

After a moment's hesitation Jack replied, "Yees," drawing out the word as if that would somehow make his decision easier. All eyes then turned to Martha; she fidgeted uncomfortably.

Finally she spoke, words spilling out. "I can't, I'm sorry. UNIT called last night, they have situation involving an unknown disease infecting the troops. They're ordering me to return to headquarters." A bitterness stole into her tone and her cadence fell into imitation; "They told me I was granted enough leave '_to ensure the Doctor's continuing heath'._"

"It wouldn't do for their prized savior to fall ill again would it," Jack said sarcastically, and then continued in a kinder tone, "I understand Martha; sometimes things just have to be done. I can take care of these two through whatever harebrained scheme they cook up."

"When do you leave?" Rose inquired.

"This afternoon, after I give the Doctor some _very_ strict instruction on what he can't do for the next three or four days. That includes storming a heavily fortified complex," she finished with a pointed look at the Doctor, who had the grace to look ashamed.

Rose slipped out from underneath the Doctor's arm and hugged the harassed looking Martha. "Thank you for saving both of our lives." She stepped away from Martha and returned to her seat besides the Time Lord. "I'm glad I met you Martha Jones, I hope to see you again."

"Me too," Martha grinned; she found that she was truly glad to have met Rose. In the beginning of her travels with the Doctor, Rose's name had always summoned up a surge of jealousy. Rose was the reason the Doctor had refused to look twice at her. Now that she had left the life of the TARDIS behind Martha had come to realize that she wasn't cut out for life as a companion, but here was a person who was. Martha looked at Rose. Gone was the hard woman of the woods, holding a gun at a threatening squirrel. In her place shone through the exposed girl the Doctor had described. The years still showed in the haunted look behind her eyes and the tautness of her body, but those signs were fading too. In time, she could imagine this woman laughing, joyously standing by the Doctor's side as they explored the universe together.

The four of them went their separate ways. Jack and Rose left the infirmary; Jack to clean up the mess in the kitchen, Rose to take care of her skipped morning ablutions. Martha spent almost an hour talking to the Doctor as he ate the breakfast she had brought him. She carefully spelled out what he could and couldn't do. She could tell it would be hard to keep the Doctor still; already his eyes were dancing with the anticipation of leaving the boring infirmary.

"So, _Doctor_," he said with exaggerated patience, "is it alright if I breathe? Or will that somehow injure me." He continued with a more serious tone, "Martha, I'll be alright. It's not that I don't appreciate your concern, but I've been alive for nearly a millennium; I can take care of myself."

"I've had to save you one too many times to believe that statement Doctor. Do you want me to list them all? First off there was that time when that plasmavore stopped your hearts, if I remember correctly I gave you CPR. Next there was that time when I walked the earth to free you, and then…need I go on." She raised her eyebrow.

"Okay, okay. Point taken. I won't do anything stupid," the Doctor promised. "Rose will watch over me. She always has. Jack too. I'll have so many nurses I won't know what to do with myself."

One of the aforementioned nurses appeared in the door smelling faintly of charred eggs. "Martha, your UNIT escort's here to take you back. They politely knocked on the TARDIS door, but I think they're anxious to get out of the area," Jack told her. He pulled her into a hug as she tried to squeeze past him. "I'll miss you. If you're ever in Cardiff stop by Torchwood and we can have a cup of coffee; Ianto makes some of the best I have ever tasted."

Once Martha managed to escape Jacks bone crushing hug she found herself caught again, this time by the Doctor. She tried to usher him back to the bed but he just gave her a grin, "I am not attacking any complexes, merely saying goodbye to a friend. Unless you want me to get hurt again merely giving you a hug?"

She shook her head, laughing softly and let the Doctor give her a brief hug.

"It was good to see you Martha. Take care of yourself out there." He told her as he stepped back.

Jack escorted Martha to the door of the TARDIS. With a gallant bow he opened the door for her. Four heavily armed men wearing the red UNIT berets stood in a semicircle around the exterior of the TARDIS. They gazed curiously into the interior. One of them turned to their neighbor and muttered under his breath, "…bigger on the inside…"

Both Jack and Martha looked at each other with amused grins. He swept her up into a final hug and then watched as the UNIT troops escorted her out of the clearing.

OOOOOOOO

In her room, Rose stepped out of the shower. It felt good to be clean again. The last time she had been able to take a decent shower was…she didn't even remember when. Too long had she been bathing in cold ponds and rivers.

A small beeping caught her attention. It came from her pack where it leaned haphazardly against the foot of her bed. Wrapping a towel around herself she ran to the pack and dumped its contents on the floor. Desperately she rummaged through her scattered belongings. It had to be here somewhere.

Rose found what she was looking for. It was a small device, cobbled together out of rusty parts. A light was flashing and the beeping continued. Rose glanced at its small screen, and then ran from her room towards the infirmary.

Panting, she barged through the doors. The Doctor looked up, startled. With panicked eyes she announced, "Doctor, the rift is active."

_F/N: I would love to hear from you if you care to share. Thank you kindly!_


	10. Chapter 10

_A/N: This chapter is mostly brief filler before the action starts. This section builds further on the Doctor/Rose relationship, gungho Rose will be back next chapter :D. (To answer your question Sunny angel yes there will be more scenes between Rose and the Doctor, namely this chapter, I misunderstood your review when I answered it the first time ). The main reason Rose is being so needy now is that she won't have time later hint hint :D. To those who might find this a little drawn out, my apologies, but if you can stick with me Rose's character is going to mature in the next chapter as they deal with the complex. Well my ramblings aside thank you to all those wonderful people who have reviewed, favorited, alerted, and all around shown an interest in this story. My thanks especially to my brilliant beta _laurajslr, _with out her waiting in the wings this story would probably topple under its grammatical errors. Enjoy!_

Disclaimer: I own Doctor Wh-is shot down by very expensive lawyers Okay I don't own it 

Chapter Ten: 

"_Doctor, the rift is active." _

Her pronouncement was met by silence; the Doctor was too busy staring at her. "Doctor, did you hear me? We need to get moving, the rift will only stay open for a few hours."

He came back to himself with a jerk. "Oh, yeah. Rift. Did you know you're only wearing a towel?"

She turned an astonishing shade of crimson. In her rush to dissemble the news of the rift she had forgotten to throw clothing on. Self-consciously she pulled the towel tighter around herself. "So?" she responded defensively. "The rift Doctor, it's active. You know what that means don't you? We only have few hours at most to get into the complex and through the rift."

"I know." He rolled out of bed and to his feet. He swayed slightly before walking confidently towards the door. "Let me get some clothing on. You know, you look beautiful in a towel considering…"

"Considering what?" came the calculating response.

"…you're an ape." The Doctor responded with a grin. The calculated look faded from Rose's face, replaced with mock indignation and a lopsided grin.

"Ow! No need to hit me that hard Miss Tyler, I was only complimenting you. Besides, I'm hurt." He gave her a puppy-eyed look and pretended to lean heavily against the wall.

"If you're calling me an ape again, you're far from being seriously hurt." she shot back grinning.

"Well it's better than being called a slug. Now that I think of it, humans do look a lot like slugs…"

"Doctor," she growled teasingly, "compare me to one more animal and I might just have to slap you."

"I thought you just did."

"No, that was a warning. Now get moving and tell Jack that we're headed out. We have a complex to storm." She gave him a gentle push out the door.

The Doctor stumbled down the corridor propelled by her push. "Ape," he called over his shoulder. She chuckled and held up her hand in defeat.

She watched the Doctor depart down the corridor, her heart full of joy. A few days ago it had been impossible for her to imagine this scenario, a cheerful debate between the Doctor and herself, just as it had been in the days of old. In the world of darkness, the one she was shortly to return to, she had been unaware of how much that darkness had eroded her. It had slowly numbed her mind and her emotions until she was living moment to moment. It had been a slow death, but death nonetheless. She had resisted the transition to light and the newly emerged emotions because she was afraid of the changes they might bring. It wasn't until she had given in that she had realized the truth; what she had really feared was that the Doctor wouldn't accept her, changed as she was.

Rose reached her door and entered the room. At first she had viewed it as a shrine to a dead person, now it was merely a memento of a distant time. She had changed, so had the Doctor. It would take time to feel out the footings of their new relationship but it would be all the sweeter for it.

Sighing, she bent down to pull out a set of battered clothing from her bag. Fingering the ratty material for a moment she tossed it aside and instead went to stand before her chest-of-drawers which she had left full of her old clothes. If the rest of the room was still the same could they…she checked, they were still there. More neatly folded then she had left them. Now when she looked around the room she noticed it was clean, unnaturally so. She was never the neatest person, but it all looked like some room out of a magazine. She understood suddenly; to the Doctor this had been a shrine, a shrine to her.

Rose reverently pulled relics of her past from the bureau, holding them with care. Bright colors, soft fabrics, and daring cuts all in the latest styles of the time. They contrasted with the grimy grey canvas lying like some beaten animal on her floor. She selected an outfit of some of the more muted tones; this was the wardrobe of a girl not accustomed to skirting danger in the dark. The clothes hung on her wiry frame, another contrast with the long lost girl; unlike her past self this Rose burned on a thin hard edge. She looked about for the purple jacket that had always been a favorite of hers but didn't find it among the folded clothes; another mystery for another time.

Shouldering the pack that carried all she owned in it she wound her way through the rambling halls of the TARDIS. Rose could have sworn that she could hear a faint melodic humming coming from the walls around her. It seemed the TARDIS was happy to have her back. Upon entering the console room she found she was alone. None of her other companions had yet appeared. She glanced down at the improvised sensor in her hand. It showed the rift readings still growing; the rift was still several hours from reaching full strength and then waning again.

Gazing at the reminder of her own life in the dark she paused; did she really want to lead her companions into that danger? Faces flashed before her eyes, all those she had lost to the Tenebres. Then two faces; smiling faces; faces she could yet lose to the darkness. Closing the beeping machine in her fist, she set off to find her companions.

OOOOOOOO

Rose had never been inside the Doctor's room but she knew where it was located thanks to a fateful afternoon wandering around the TARDIS. The Doctor had been forced to ground the time ship for some much needed repairs; he spent much of the day on his back underneath various consoles. Rose had first watched the Doctor but had soon grown bored and decided to wander around; she still hadn't explored much of the giant interior. Several hours passed wandering up and down identical hallways; she always seemed to pass the same elaborately carved door, almost as though the ship was trying to lead her somewhere. At the time she had discounted the ship's efforts as her own imagination, but that was before she had looked into the heart of the TARDIS. Finally she tried the door but to her dismay found it locked. Discouraged she had returned to the TARDIS' main chamber. Some time later she had mentioned the incident to the Doctor in passing. His expression had paled and he had warned her never to try that door again, it was his own room, one of the few that she wasn't allowed to enter in the ship. She had pressed him for a further explanation but he had refused, only stating that it held too many painful memories.

Racking her brains she sought the route to that chamber but she needn't have tried because the moment she thought of the room a golden shimmer passed down the corridor she was standing in. The walls changed and she found herself outside the door of her memory. This time it was ajar and the sound of the Doctor's movements drifted into the hall. The door itself was covered in arcane symbols that seemed to twist and move as Rose looked at them. Tearing her gaze away from the constantly changing door, she knocked cautiously. "Doctor, can I come in?"

A muffled voice sounded surprised, and the Doctor's head appeared around the edge of the door. "Rose?"

"I'm-m not sure if I can do this…" she muttered her eyes downcast, the sensor still clutched in her fist.

He stepped out into the hall and pulled the door part-way closed behind him. He was partially dressed, one foot encased in trainers, the other bare, with a coat slung over his arm. "Do what?"

"Let you and Jack come with me. What happens if the darkness…the darkness takes you?" she forced out.

He looked back at the door behind him and then down at his partially clad state. "Oh Rose, my silly Rose, come in. This is going to take a little explaining, but Rose; the darkness_ can't take us_."

She stared at him; what was he saying? But before she could think further her attention was captured by her first look into the Doctor's room.

It was a large chamber, similar to her own, with the same hexagon patterned walls that were found all over the TARDIS. But any resemblance to her own room stopped there. It was a boy's room, but at the same time it was a man's. Shelves lined most of the walls, with books spilling off them and onto the floor. Devices from all different times and all different galaxies lay scattered about in various stages of deconstruction, as if some child had become distracted halfway through. The room was dominated by a large bed covered with enough pillows to drown in. The whole room was a riot of color, nothing of the same shade was side by side. A door stood ajar on the other side of the room, from the sliver Rose could see it led to a cavernous stone room with what looked like a raised pedestal in the middle surrounded by four posts.

The Doctor strode across to the other door and shut it firmly, before pulling Rose to the bed where he sat down beside her. "So you're afraid that me and Jack are in danger of being taken by the Tenebres?"

She nodded, her gaze still dancing about the dazzling array of objects.

"Rose, what kept you safe from the Tenebres all those years?" he asked gently.

"I always thought it was the time vortex inside of me. Something left over from when I looked into the heart of the TARDIS." She still couldn't see where he was headed with this.

"And Miss Tyler, what do you think keeps bringing Jack back every time he kicks the bucket? It certainly isn't the goodwill of the universe. When you brought him back he became so saturated with the time vortex that he would give the Tenebres some very _very_ serious indigestion." He put a finger under her chin and raised her eyes to his. "And me, Rose Tyler, I'm very touched by your concern, but I'm so threaded through with the TARDIS' heart that I can't tell where she ends and I begin."

She tore her gaze away from the Doctor; how could she have been so foolish? She should have known that her two companions shared her immunity. As if reading her mind the Doctor spoke, "Don't feel ashamed. It's one of the reasons why I love you so much."

Rose looked back at the Doctor; he gazed back at her with loving, tender eyes. It might be something about this room but he looked more vulnerable than she could remember seeing him. Even in his pain he had kept some measure of reserve.

They fell into silence, just staring at each other. Rose broke first and looked away, seeking distraction in the objects around her. She noticed a small opaque glass resting on the table besides his bed, the cloudy surface moved slowly, and flashing scenes appeared briefly. A laughing woman, two children playing together in a stone courtyard, a burning world, an image of her and the Doctor; all came and went in quick succession. Noticing the Doctor's attention also rested on the small crystal she asked, "Who were they, the women and the children?"

"My wife and children; they died on Gallifrey when it burned. That was the third image." The silence descended again. Rose's mind worked furiously.

"But why? Why do you love me?" She couldn't help herself, she plunged recklessly ahead. "You had all the universe to choose from and you chose a simple shop girl from London."

A pained expression crossed his face, "Rose, you were never a simple a shop girl. I thought I knew the human race, I thought I knew all their little idiosyncrasies and behaviors, but then you came along. You who refused to let me leave you alone in your chip eating life. You who showed innocence and a compassion I never hoped to see again…" He floundered for words, "You – I – Rose I can't explain it, but who can explain love? I simply love you."

"I'm not a replacement for _her_?" she gestured limply at the glass, which was showing the image of the laughing woman again.

"Never. She's dead, burned with my children on Gallifrey. They were then, you're now. Rose, remember I'm not human. I'm aware of all times and all places; just to stay _sane_ I have to separate the then and the now. I've loved before, and now I love you, each in your own way has captured my hearts. _Please _believe me when I say you are all that matters to me."

He sounded so earnest that her heart skipped a beat. It was impossible not to believe him. "I do. I'm sorry for doubting…but it's hard for me to trust anymore. I was betrayed so many times…" She gave him a pleading smile.

"We knew it would be hard. I'll stand by you no matter what, but you need to trust me. I will never _ever_ do anything to harm you."

Rose nodded her assent and then glanced down at the device still held tightly in her hand. "We have to leave soon. I've wasted too much time already."

They both stood up, the Doctor pulling on his errant shoe and donning his coat. Together they headed to the main section of the TARDIS where Jack stood waiting.

"Where have you been?" Jack demanded.

"It took me longer than I thought it would to get dressed; lost one of my shoes," the Doctor said, and Rose shot him a grateful glance.

The Doctor started fiddling with controls. "I should be able to move the TARDIS within the compound. Not far from where the rift controls are. Let's see…ah! Got it!" With a flourish he punched a button and the central pillar began to grate up and down.

The Doctor sprinted around the console hitting various buttons and whacking suspect proponents. The grating stopped and the Doctor announced, "We're here."


	11. Chapter 11

_A/N: My sincerest apologies that this chapter was so long in coming. Right now I am in the middle of taking Advance Placement exams, so life has been turned on its head. I barely had time to watch the latest Doctor Who…which I happened to really enjoy. Thank you for being patient with me. This chapter isn't one of my favorites, but it is a chapter. As always thank you to my wonderful beta Laurajslr, and thank you to all those who reviewed during the hiatus. If you feel so inclined I would love to hear from you all who read this. Enjoy! _

Disclaimer: I don't own the Doctor, nor any accessories he may come with

Chapter Eleven:

It was like having a very bad dream, one you couldn't escape, Rose mused as the umpteenth person in uniform chased them down another identical hall. For a while after they landed the TARDIS things had gone alright, besides the fact that the Doctor landed them at the opposite end of the building. But that was to be expected; the reception waiting for them was not. Julius Barker hadn't dealt with the loss of his rift gracefully; in fact he hadn't dealt with it well at all.

The Doctor, Jack, and Rose had discovered, after a quick consultation with the sonic screwdriver, that they were _'approximately 947.56 meters from the rift consoles_', though why the Doctor had thought it necessary to add the approximate she wasn't quite sure. What had followed was, in Rose's opinion, the most definitive game of hide-and-seek yet played in the universe. They had dashed through corridors seconds before scheduled patrols, hid in janitorial domains, and even played a sick form of peek-a-boo with armed men. The guards had become aware of them in a rather nasty run-in down a dead-end.

The Doctor, fatigued from the constant efforts of deception and his recent bout with ill-health, had failed to commune properly with his sonic device and had led them down a wrong corridor. Unfortunately for the trio, the room at the end of the hall happened to be the equivalent of a lounge for the black-clad security. Their attempts at stealth had been blown sky high before they even realized it.

Jack had been the first to notice the shocked silence spreading across gathered guards. Then had come the ominous sound of magazines being slotted into guns.

"_Run!" Jack cried as the black swarm surrounded them._

_But it was already too late; their path of retreat was cut off by a solidifying wall of black canvas and gleaming firearms. Jack moved in front of his two friends, shoving them against the wall and taking up position before them. They faced the blank faces of eight men, all armed to the teeth. The guards merely stood, waiting for something, guns still trained on their captives. _

"_These men have been under the influence of Julius' device longer, we can't reason with them," the Doctor muttered to Rose and Jack. _

"_I don't care to reason with them," Rose said, almost growling, "I've faced men like these before; insane." She pulled her own gun from her shoulder holster, hidden beneath her jacket and pack, with an ease of long practice. The guards didn't have time to respond. _

_She squeezed off two rounds. Two guards went down; one clutching his shoulder, the other contemplating a shattered knee. The other six trained their guns on Rose but she was too quick, setting off another four rounds before they could react. Three guards collapsed, giving into the siren call of mortality. The other one nursed a shattered humerus. The remaining guards were hindered by their moaning companions, the two rounds they managed to fire bouncing off the wall by the Doctor's head. _

"_Come on!" Rose called as she knocked through the startled guards and towards freedom. They managed to avoid pursuit by ducking into a nearby empty room, stifling their labored breathing. _

_Rose holstered her gun and faced her companions, could see the Doctor's gaze lingering on the hidden gun, a disgusted expression flickering over his face. "I'm sorry you had to watch that," she voiced dispassionately. Her control broke and they could see the sadness lurking beneath. "They couldn't help themselves, could they Doctor?" Her eyes, pleading, seemed to be asking another question of the Time Lord__**.**_

_The Doctor shook his head sadly, "No, they're under Julius' control." He stood for a moment in silence, indecision played across his face. His eyes dance from the gun to Rose's face, and then back again. Then he answered her unspoken question, "Neither could you."_

_Rose smiled weakly, her eyes glistening. After a moment she swallowed and regained control. "I thought as much last time I was in here, but I never had the occasion to confirm it. Most of them were too…," she searched for the word, "…robotic. Is there anything we can do to help them?" _

"_No. They're permanently imprinted, forced to serve until they die." _

_Jack broke into the conversation, "Oi! Volcano day is here, we can't always save everyone, but we can save Rose's companions and their world. And we do that by finding the rift."_

_The Doctor and Rose shared a long glance; one that promised they would talk of this later. Without another word they resumed their quest. _

They had emerged again to begin the game of cat and mouse anew. This time they were more careful, but the alarm had been raised. More often than not, they found themselves facing the locating sweeps when the turned the corner. The group was forced to backtrack almost as far as they had come to avoid the closing patrols. It was only sheer luck that they managed to slip behind the expanding search and make it to the hall where the door to the rift room was located.

Most of the guards were canvassing the building in a comprehensive search. They had left only two callow youths guarding the door, confident in their search perimeter. Rose, Jack, and the Doctor hovered just out of sight around a corner, debating the best way to dispose of the guards.

"Let me distract them, I can double back and then meet you guys back here," Jack suggested in a forced whisper.

"You've done you share of distraction, Jack. I have a better idea." The Doctor put a restraining hand on the eager Captain's arm. With the other hand he reached into the deep pockets of his overcoat. After a moment he pulled a small cricket ball triumphantly from the depths.

"Always knew this would come in handy," he said, tossing the ball up and catching it with a maniacal grin on his face.

"Doctor…wha–" Rose began to ask, but she stopped as the Doctor threw the small red ball. It was a blur as it sped down the hallway. With a resounding _crack_ it connected with the closest guard's helmet, knocking him back into the unwitting arms of his fellow. Together they toppled over, the sudden weight to much for the surprised guard. In a comic tangle of limbs they lay sprawled on the floor, stunned. Before they could recover the Doctor, followed by Rose and Jack, darted over and relieved the guards of their guns.

The soft hum of the sonic screwdriver opened the door. Rose and Jack dragged the now bound guards inside and deposited their squirming forms just within the door. Once they were all inside the Doctor jerked the door shut, sealing off the view of the corridor.

The last time the Doctor had been in this room he had been so focused on the task at hand that he hadn't noticed much of it. It was a huge room, two walls covered in instrument panels. One wall was bare except for what only could be described as a colored glass panel dominating the white expanse, although even that description didn't seem to capture it. It was about twenty feet long and ten feet tall, but its size wasn't the strangest thing about it. Along its surface danced all hues of the rainbow, the glass' surface was pitted with swirls of texture that dance and changed along with the colors. The other wall was a recessed alcove cut off from the rest of the room by a grated and padlocked door. The Doctor couldn't see much beyond the door, but he could make out a pedestal with some small object resting on it. The object felt wrong, out of tune with the time around it.

"Last time I was here, this is as far as I made it." Rose came to stand by the Doctor. "I couldn't get through the door, that device is the one that can defeat the Tenebres."

"How do you know that?"

"Julius Barker told me as much as I held him at gun point. Unfortunately, I was forced to depart before I could make him open the door for me." Her gaze was locked on the shadowed device, and madness stalked across her features. "I got it out of him once he made passing reference to me interrupting his plans to defeat darkness." Her features shifted and the madness withdrew. "He also mentioned that I was interrupting his revenge on an old enemy. I didn't know he meant you."

Absent mindedly he took her hand out of habit, it still fit perfectly. She looked down at their intertwined hands and squeezed his gently.

Jack came to stand on the other side of Rose. "It seems that we have to thank you for our opportunity to escape as well. So, how exactly does this device work?"

"I don't know. All Julius said was that it would 'devour the Darkness, as the Darkness devours the light'. He wasn't any more forth coming than that, even with his life on the line, which makes me think that he doesn't know how it works any more than I do." Rose sighed dejectedly.

"Well, let's grab said device and slip through the rift before Julius finds out we're here. I don't relish another encounter with him, the last was enough." The Doctor bounced forward and attacked the padlock with the sonic screwdriver. "Let's hope that this isn't deadlocked."

A moment later that proved not to be the case and the padlock tumbled to the floor. The Doctor entered the barred alcove, shortly followed by Rose. She slid past the Doctor and gently picked up the pyramid resting on the pedestal. It was an innocent shade of dull steel blue, about a foot long. The pyramid rested lightly in her hands; far too light to be made of any known metal.

"May I?" the Doctor asked, reaching towards the device.

Rose reluctantly handed it over, her fingers lingering on its smooth surface. The Doctor whipped out his glasses and held it close to his face. His fingers drummed on the side of it, "Not empty, yet light enough to be empty. Hmm…I wonder…" He prodded the device with the sonic screwdriver, but it remained impassive. "Nope, no temporal pocket. It's a mystery to be sure." A puzzled frown graced his face but then he smiled as he handed the pyramid back to Rose.

The crystal panel on the opposite wall suddenly turned an opaque white, the absence of color shot its way across the surface, absorbing the dancing, rainbow hues. Jack, not occupied in examining the device, was the only one to notice. "Doctor, I think you might want to see this."

The Doctor whirled around, taking in the scene. "Time to go. If I am not mistaken, the rift is fully open, just enough for us to squeeze through."

"But how-," Jack was interrupted by the rattling of the door in its frame.

"No time to explain, just trust me," the Doctor said, as he adjusted his sonic screwdriver, his brow furrowed in concentration. Rose stood anxiously by his side, still clutching the precious device to her chest. She shot nervous glances at the door; it was starting to splinter around the lock.

"Come on," Rose moaned quietly.

Finally, the Doctor grinned in triumph. "Got it! Now stay close to me. This is going to be a rough ride, travel between universes without a capsule..." His face twisted in anticipation of what was to come.

The door shattered, bursting inward and scattering bits of tortured wood. Behind them Rose heard the panicked shouts of Julius Barker, "Stop them! Don't hurt the device!"

But it was already too late; they were too near the crystal panel. The Doctor held up the sonic screwdriver and activated it with an audible hum. The opaque color seemed to reach out towards them, tendrils of white fading the surrounding room. It wrapped around them cutting off the sounds of Julius' desperate attempts to stop them. As if a dense mist had suddenly fallen, they found themselves isolated from the outside world, only their proximity to each other kept them from being lost in the obscuring white. Another shape seemed to join the three to make four, but in the fog she couldn't be sure. Then came the pain.

Rose had experienced pain on the last trip through the rift, but it was nothing compared to what she endured now. Moments stretched into seconds and seconds stretched into hours and still the pain continued. She was vaguely aware of her companions through the haze of agony, but she couldn't be sure. Suddenly it was all over, and she found herself sprawled on damp grass, the cool wetness welcome against her burning body.

She couldn't see anything, the darkness was absolute. Rose knew she was back in the world of the Tenebres again, only their darkness could devour light so efficiently. Rose thought she heard other voices moaning not far from her but she couldn't be sure without digging out her torch. The shaken tone of the Doctor cut across the darkness, "Rose, Jack, you okay?"

"I'm fine, just a bit bruised about the edges," came the muffled reply from Jack; it sounded as though he was still face down in the dirt.

"I'm okay," seconded Rose, "I have a torch around here somewhere. You alright Doctor?"

"Yeah, just a bit shaken, universe transition without a TARDIS is a real kicker."

Rose rifled through her pack feeling for the smooth shaft of the torch. She found it at the very bottom; she hadn't needed it recently. With a grunt of satisfaction she turned the powerful beam on and swept it about to survey their surroundings. It was then that she noticed the crumpled form of Julius Barker, lying not ten feet from her.


	12. Chapter 12

_A/N: Thank you for all the alerts, favorites, and especially the reviews. They really all help in encouraging my muses to hand me the next tidbits to work into a story. Additionally, thank you all for being patient with the slow updates recently. I have had a lot on my plate as far as exams went, but they are done now so huzzah, more chapters faster (at least I hope so :D ). A brief note, I changed the title of the story slightly because a friend pointed out that Lupus is a disease, so I thought I ought to clarify, Lupus is latin for wolf, as it appears in the title. Sorry for that little mix up. As ever my ears are open to any comments/suggestions/random thoughts that happen to pass through your mind. Thank you as always. Enjoy!_

Disclaimer: I don't own the wonderful world of Doctor Who, though as most people in the fandom, wish I did.

Chapter Twelve:

Shrouded in cloaks of shadows three figures knelt around an upturned torch, examining a fourth, prone body. Darkness danced across their outlines, the light hid more of their faces than it revealed. Their light ascended into the heavens, a beacon for any who still cared, stark against the absolute dark. Beyond the faint circle of radiance things seemed to slither and slink, eyes that flatly reflected the light stared hungrily, but the companions were unaware.

"Is he still alive?" Jack's voice came out as a whisper; the darkness somehow seemed to forbid louder tones.

"Yup, that he is, unfortunately for us." The Doctor felt gingerly at the man's neck for a pulse. "Unconscious I would reckon, the transition was a little too much for him."

"Nearly was too much for me, for a second there I thought it would never end." Jack looked about, taking in the limited view. "I guess I would only be stating the obvious if I said it was awfully dark. Is this how dark it's always been?"

"When I left you could almost see without a torch, like midnight on a summer night. This-," Rose gestured, "-is new. Something must have happened while I was gone."

"More Tenebres arrived?" Jack offered with an uneasy smile.

"Maybe; we could never distinguish if they were one giant mass or individuals. Not that it really mattered in the long run, they destroyed us regardless." What could be seen of Rose's face tightened into a mournful expression.

"And the eyes are they new as well?" Jack was clearly ill at ease with the darkness, shifting constantly to keep the circling specters in view. The Doctor on the other hand was a still statue, his eyes closed and hands clenched in his lap. The Time Lord's brow was furrowed in concentration.

"Just wild dogs, they won't bother us." Rose gave a soft laugh as Jack visibly relaxed then she sobered. "The biggest dangers are the other humans, if they have any humanity left. They'll take all that you can give and more. That's why I learned to carry a gun, not to defend against the enemy but to defend against my fellow humanity."

"You with a gun. It still seems…wrong somehow."

"Jack, a hundred and twenty five years is a long time, a lot can change and has changed for me. Like I've told the Doctor I'm no longer the same person. Besides, you carry gun as well don't you?" She nodded her head to the gun concealed under his great coat.

"I know, but…I was raised for war; the fifty first century wasn't a peaceful place. I learned from an early age it was either us or them. They took a brother from me, Rose." Jack looked away, his eyes shimmering in the half-light.

"Oh, Jack. I never knew," Sympathy was etched in her features along with a shared pain of loss. "Believe me I don't enjoy carrying this gun. It reminds me of how much I've changed and how much I've lost."

They lapsed into a sorrow laden silence, each staring off into a different section of the night. Rose finally glanced at the Doctor, silent through their entire exchange. He still hadn't moved from his kneeling position, hands clenched tightly. He moaned softly, faint words escaped through closed lips, "Who… no… don't understand… too much… can't… hurts," the Doctor whimpered, rocking back and forth.

"Doctor? What's going on? Doctor!" Concerned for the Doctor, Rose reached out to grasp his shoulder to shake him from his trance.

As soon as she touched him, his eyes flew open. "Rose?"

"Yes it's me. I thought we lost you there for a second. What was going on?"

"The Tenebres…I think they're trying to communicate with me."

Rose looked at him aghast. "They were trying to communicate with you? But why, all they've ever cared about was wiping us off the face of the earth."

"I don't know, I couldn't understand what they were saying, they were too incoherent, too large. Never, Rose. Never have I encountered something like them, a vast mind pressing against mine, so full of foreign concepts." The Doctor shuddered at the memory.

Rose's voice was full of bitterness, "Let me guess; their thoughts were all bent on our destruction."

The Doctor, shaken by his experience, failed to notice the bitter tone of Rose's words. "I couldn't tell. They were too chaotic for me to make out anything more than basic feelings. Rose, the Tenebres are in pain, unbearable amounts of pain and so confused."

"Good, they'll be distracted, easier to kill." Rose's eyes shone with unmasked insanity as she contemplated the blackened sky.

"Rose…are you sure you really want to go through with this?" The Doctor hesitantly broached. "You sure you don't…I mean, we don't really understand why they are doing this."

"Yes," she hissed through clenched teeth, "They have taken _everything _from me. Doctor, I would have thought that you would have understood that."

"I do…I thought…well, it doesn't matter." The Doctor fumbled for words and then faltered into silence.

"Are you sure it's the Tenebres you sense? It couldn't be something else in pain?" Jack queried, uncomfortable with Rose's evident madness.

"Maybe, but it's highly unlikely. Nothing, last time I was here, had this kind of aura. Granted things could have changed in the past one hundred and twenty five years, but not a lot of things in the universe are this strong, so I doubt it." He added as an afterthought, "I don't know if they actually realize what they're doing here, it seemed to me they were like lost children."

Rose suddenly stood, walking off into the dark, her shoulders set. "Where are you going?" the Doctor called out after her.

"To find Marie, Isabelle, and Rick; the ones I left behind. They've been waiting, perhaps too long," she said without turning back.

"Let me come with you." The Doctor struggled to rise, but collapsed, clutching his stomach. "Rose, wait!"

She whirled about, eyes blazing uncontrollably. "No Doctor, I'm not going to. You obviously don't understand. These are the monsters that ruined my world, _tortured _me for over a hundred years. And here you are trying to _communicate_ with them, attach feelings to unfeeling devils! Satan was right; Rose did die in battle, not at Canary Wharf, but here, on this world. You just put the last nail in her coffin Doctor."

"Rose…please let me explain. I feel them, I can't help it, they're screaming in my head, screaming so loudly. I-" But he spoke only to empty air, Rose had vanished beyond the curtain of night.

"Doctor, are you alright?" Jack moved to support the panting Time Lord. "I'll go after her, bring her back here." He rose to go but the Doctor caught his wrist.

"No, don't. This is between me and her. I love her more than life itself but I can't help but question the situation, that impulse is so much a part of me. I have to go find her." He struggled to his feet. "The Tenebres assault on my mind shook me, that's all. Besides, I know where the cave is; the one that she told the children to wait in, and someone needs to stay here and watch our friend Barker."

Jack nodded and sat back down by Barker. He undid the clasp on his vortex manipulator and tossed it to the Doctor, who caught it looking surprised. "Use it to find her, it can sense life signs. It should also tell you if anyone is hunting you; I don't like the sound of these people the darkness drove mad."

"Jack…" He looked like he was going to refuse it, then he closed his hand, "Thanks." The Doctor smiled then walked beyond the circle of torchlight, in time the noise of his passage faded and Jack was left alone with the still body of Julius Barker.

"Just you and me I guess. Not exactly a tropical vacation but I could get use to the dark, soothing after a little while. The team would have a fit if they knew where I was, after all those times I told them not to fool with the rift, and here I find myself on the other side of one. The irony of it all. Well, at least you're a good listener Julius, if not exactly a talker," Jack rambled, trying to fill the silence that rested heavily on his mind.

As if his name was the key, Julius started to moan and Jack pulled and trained his own gun at him. His eyes fluttered and then opened, he focused on Jack. "You!"

"Me!" Jack snarled. He still hadn't forgotten what this man had done to the Doctor. Oh how he wanted to squeeze the trigger, but for all they knew this man might hold the key to defeating Rose's enemies.

"Where am I?"

"Just where you wanted to end up Barker, the other side of the rift." They both froze as a noise sounded from beyond the circle of light, something far heavier than a dog. "Doctor? Rose?"

No response.

It sounded again. This time closer, it was a soft moaning noise. "Hello? Anyone out there?" Jack shouted and aimed his gun on the empty blackness, his back facing Julius.

Julius saw the opportunity and took it; leaping on Jack's back he tried to wrestle the gun from his hand. They both fell to the ground, and the gun was thrown into the void beyond the torch.

"You idiot!" Jack grunted as he pinned the smaller man beneath his weight.

Julius' lip curled in contempt and he spat in Jack's face. "What would you know of my intelligence Time Agent? Following the Doctor around like a puppy. I am capable of defeating the Darkness itself, I have brought empires to their knees, and the stars themselves fear my tread. Compared to me what is the Doctor but a meddling _freak,_ with fools like you following in his footsteps, lapping up every word he says like it's manna from heaven."

Jack wiped the spit from his face with the back of his hand and then hit Barker, hard. "You don't know anything of the Doctor, or the Time Lords do you? What he's done for the universe, for you. Yes, even for sorry bastards like you, Julius Barker. He gave up everything he had for us, and more. Now the Doctor is alone in all of time and space. The one person he truly cares about is in danger of killing herself to save her own world and all you can do is sit there and call him a freak? I pity you Barker."

Julius made as if to speak but his face froze in horror, his eyes were locked, looking beyond Jack's head. Jack slowly turned around and vaguely registered red eyes and flashing teeth before stars burst in his head and fell into unconsciousness.

OOOOOOOO

Rose ran through the forest, not caring as the branches caught her clothing and raked her flesh. Tears coursed down her face; how could she have been such a fool? She had actually believed the Doctor would help her fight the Tenebres, how naïve she had been. He had broken the trust they shared. Knowing what she had been through at their hands, he still tried to understand them. There was nothing to understand; they had taken all that she had loved from her, and they had to pay, simple as that.

A small traitorous part of her wondered if the Doctor was right; what if there was more to the Tenebres? Rose quickly squashed that thought. They had struck the first blow, taken citizens of the Earth, and then coated the entire world in darkness. If that didn't constitute a desire to hurt humanity she didn't know what did.

She crashed into a clearing and looked up at the sky; it was darkness beyond night. Glancing back the way she came it was impossible to see past a few feet. Yet she still knew where she was. This was the clearing where she had entered the rift the first time; the cave was beyond the trees. Silently she prayed, may they still be alive, let them have survived.

Trepidation coiled in her gut like a slimy eel as she approached the hidden mouth of the cave. Carefully, oh so carefully, she pushed aside the concealing greenery and looked inside.

Light from a fire met her dark adjusted eyes, and she put up a hand to shield them. She gave an 'oomph' as a small body hurtled into her and attached itself to her own.

"Lupus, your back! I've been so scared, the others…" The petite form started to shake as she began to sob.

"Ella, what's wrong? Where are Marie and Rick?" Rose's joy slowly turned sour.

"They're gone…taken by the crazies." Ella clung tighter to Rose and broke down completely.

"Shh…it's alright. You're safe now, I'm back." She carefully smoothed the youngster's tousled hair.

After a while Ella's sobs calmed to broken hiccups. Rose knelt and tilted her charge's eyes to her own. "Ella, I have some very good news. While I was gone I found a way to defeat the Tenebres." She reverently pulled the pyramid from her bag. Its surface was no longer a dull steel blue but seemed to shine with its own inner light.

Ella frowned, "I don't care 'bout the Tenes, Lupus. I just want you back. Are you going to stay forever this time?" She picked up the pyramid out of Rose's outstretched hands and then placed it on the ground. Wide eyes innocently staring up at Rose, she held her arms out in their signal for a hug.

Rose smiled through the silent tears falling down her cheeks, "Of course Ella. I'll stay with you forever."

"I remember I asked you something like that and you gave the same answer." Rose turned around sheltering Ella behind her. Her face contorted in a feral snarl until she saw who it was. The Doctor leaned against the wall of the cave with the air of someone who knows they have witnessed something they weren't supposed to.

"Lupus, who is he? Is he a crazy?" Ella moved further behind the sheltering bulk of Rose.

"Well, you might say I'm a crazy, depends on who you ask." He winked at Rose. "I'm the Doctor and who are you?" The Doctor bent down holding out his hand towards Ella but she shrank back.

"It's alright; he can be trusted…_sometimes_." Rose laced the last word with emphasis.

"Rose, I'm sorry. I'm still going to help you defeat the Tenebres, I promised you. Remember when I said that I needed you to trust me, this is what I meant. I may be a Time Lord but even then I'm fallible. I won't go into a situation blind. Remember you taught me that with the Dalek; things are not always as they seem. I'm merely asking you to wait until I can completely understand." He continued in a softer voice, "_Please_ Rose, will you wait?"

Rose's mind raced back to the day she had stopped the Doctor from killing the sole surviving Dalek, or at least it had been at the time. The Doctor had been so blinded by hatred that he had failed to see the pitiful creature standing in front of him, bereft of its own kind. She knew that the hatred burning inside of her was the only thing that had kept her going for so many years. Could that hatred now be blinding her in turn. Regardless, now she had the Doctor, couldn't her quest for revenge wait? Yes it could. He asked her to trust him, and she found that she did now that she explored her own heart.

"Yes, Doctor I can wait." Rose said solemnly holding his gaze. The Time Lord gave a sigh of relief.

"Rose? Who's he taking about Lupus?" Ella piped up. "Is he gonna help you defeat the Tenes? And what are Dalacs?"

"He's talking about me. Remember the man I told you about that I used to travel with. That's him and yes he's going to help me."

The Doctor glanced at Rose and grinned then addressed the small girl, "Daleks are evil monsters, but you don't need to worry about them, they're all gone now. Rose and I took care of them a long time ago."

"It's okay, I'm not afraid of any monsters. I faced down crazies, nothin' can scare me anymore." The young girl looked up stubbornly at the Doctor then ruined the effect by yawning widely.

"Ella, why don't you go get some sleep, you look exhausted. The Doctor and I need to talk about some grown up things." Rose shooed the girl off to the back of the cave where a nest of blankets marked her bed. Without protest the girl curled up, and closed her eyes.

As Rose headed back to the front of the cave a small voice whispered after her, "Forever?"

"Forever," Rose said with finality, speaking not only to the small girl curled behind her, but also to the Time Lord she loved.


	13. Chapter 13

_A/N: Sorry for the wait, I was hoping to get this up faster but I had serious case of writer's block. Thank you sincerely for all those who reviewed (7 for one chapter!), alerted, and favorited. All are forms of encouragement that I greatly appreciate. Again my thanks goes out to my simply amazing beta, laurajslr, she got this chapter done in less than 2 hours, at an unholy hour of the night. Simply amazing. Additionally I am considering doing a sequel to this piece, is there any interest in one? I would work the elements into the plot henceforth if there is. As always love to hear from you all. Enjoy!_

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor

Chapter 13:

They lay on Rose's pallet at the mouth of the cave, the Doctor curled around her protectively. The Doctor supported his head with one hand and teased his other hand through the golden cascade in front of him. "Rose?"

"Yes," she muttered contentedly, snuggling up closer to him.

"I just want to explain to you why I want to understand the Tenebres. They..." His hand stopped its steady rhythm through Rose's hair as she turned her head up to look him in the face.

"Doctor, I don't want to hear it. I already said I'd wait. I trust your judgment." She moved away from him and sat up, shaking her hair back into a ponytail and tying it up.

"Please, just hear me out. I think it's important." He reached out and took Rose's hand.

"Alright…" She knew it was no use trying to silence the stubborn Time Lord. "But know that you're already forgiven."

"Rose Tyler, what have I done to deserve you?" The Doctor grinned and pulled her close, nestling her head underneath his chin. "You truly are brilliant, absolutely brilliant. One of the best days of my lives, the day I met you, 'course I didn't know it at the time."

She gave a small laugh as his throat tickled her ear. "Go on…" She was serious, but her voice still held a lilting filament of joy.

"On with what, singing your praises to the stars? I could do that for all of eternity," he joked, trying to lighten the dark undercurrent of the conversation.

"No silly," she gave him a gentle shove, "the Tenebres. What did you want to say?"

"Ah…yes…that." He drew her closer. "I promised that I would help you defeat the Tenebres. I still intend to keep that promise."

"Uh huh, I know that." She glanced to her pack where the pyramid had been hidden from view. It seemed to be a part of her now, like a fifth limb. Even when it was out of sight she could still sense it, throbbing with potential energy.

"I just wanted to make sure. Rose, the reason I questioned you back there is because…Well, because for a moment there I _was _them. I could sense their entire being; they're so different from us. They're full of foreign ideas and concepts that were difficult for me to handle without the TARDIS helping me." The Doctor grasped Rose's hand in his own and began to play with it, tracing the scars with his long fingers.

"Speaking of the TARDIS, why didn't we bring her with us?" Rose inquired.

"She was too big. The rift was only big enough to fit us small sized humanoids, barely. Julius almost didn't make it through with us because it was such a tight fit. I wish he hadn't, his presence just complicates the matter." The Doctor's face, hidden from Rose's view, twisted grimly.

Rose seemed to sense the Doctor's unhappiness, shifting slightly so the he could see her encouraging smile. He sighed then continued, "I was so deeply entwined with the Tenebres that I was forced to question what we really know about them, which is exactly nothing. We don't know why they're here; we don't even know what they are. Barker seems to think they're a road to power, and you see them as a race that wants to wipe out Earth," he quickly added, "rightly so."

"How do you propose finding more about them? Torchwood had all the best equipment, and we couldn't even figure it out." Rose looked skeptical.

"Time Lord, remember?" he tapped a finger lightly to his temple, "I'm telepathic. They reached out for me once, I'm hoping I can do the same."

"Last time it didn't go so well if you recall. You may like to think otherwise but you're still recovering from poisoning _and_ a gunshot wound. I won't let you do this." She crossed her arms, daring the Doctor to contradict her.

"Rose Tyler, as I told a certain Martha Jones, I am nearly a millennium old. I think I can take care of myself," he huffed.

"But I like rude and not ginger. Who's to say the next regeneration wouldn't be as…well, foxy to quote our beloved trampoline?" She grinned coyly up at him.

"Oi! Children are sleeping nearby." The Time Lord sighed and became serious, "I'm going ahead with this, but I can take a precaution if you're willing."

Rose contemplated the situation for a moment. She knew that she couldn't win a contest of wills with the obstinate Doctor; she had tried in the past and failed. It was best to concede graciously; usually the Doctor knew what he was talking about. "And what would that be?"

"I can anchor myself; keep an open line you might say, with you. That is if you want to. You would ground me; keep me from getting lost within them. The only thing is that you'd be peripherally aware of them, so I can understand if you don't want to do it. I'm going through with this regardless." He hoped that she wouldn't refuse; she needed to come to terms with the enemy. An enemy, he suspected, that wasn't out for the world, but rather another, more indefinable reason.

After a moment of thought she spoke, "I'll do it, only because it might provide me with some insight into destroying them. I won't forget what they have done to me and those I love."

"I understand. It's probably best to do it here. Jack can take care of Barker and himself, I'm sure they're fine. Here there's less chance of interruption. Do you feel up to it now?"

"Doctor, I'm not the one that will be flinging my consciousness into the void of darkness," Rose reminded him.

"Alright then; I want you to imagine yourself as a tree, roots stretching deep into the ground. No storm can blow you over, no matter how fierce it becomes." Rose fell into the easy pattern of breathing she remembered from the lessons he had given her before she left the TARDIS. "Now imagine that you're reaching your branches out towards the sun. Reaching and reaching, seeking the golden warmth upon your leaves."

The Doctor closed his eyes and started to breathe in unison with Rose. He sensed her on the edges of his awareness; a flitting golden touch. She had pulled her mind into a tight bubble, firmly entrenched to the present. Tendrils of golden sparks were reaching out from the central cluster, she was searching for the golden warmth: him. Carefully he grasped one of the tendrils, allowing his own consciousness to stream away along its length. A part of him was now aware of Rose, the gentle rise and fall of her breathing, the slow beat of her single heart.

_Good_, he sent along their connection,_ Just hold it there_.

She sent a tentative affirmation.

Reaching out the Doctor sought to explore further than the accepting glow of Rose's mind. Her consciousness was like a hearth fire, a slow blaze that embraced him. It took all of his effort to tear himself away from the welcome warmth and into the cold void beyond their linked minds.

Now that he had expanded his perception the Doctor could vaguely sense the minds of the life around him. They were bright spots in the black void. His mind skirted the edges of the abyss the other Time Lords once occupied, he had once wished to loose himself there but now…now he had Rose. She was the golden wall that guarded his mind from the yawning chasm. Beyond the void a faint link stretched beyond the fabric of the universe, it thrummed, taunt as a piano wire. Running his mind along its length the Doctor could faintly sense the TARDIS. Expanding his mental sight even further he finally encountered the blaze of the Tenebres. They looked dark to the naked eye but to his internal vision they burned with the light of a thousand suns. Squinting, he reached out carefully, dragging the most tender of touches along the outer rim of the conflagration.

It was like being a bug caught under the gaze of a hungry sparrow. The entire focus of the Tenebres shifted onto him. He sensed a ripple run through their ranks. Now that he was this close he could see that the mass was made of up billions of individual bonfires. All of which were focused on him.

A flood of emotions, images, and thoughts inundated the Doctor's brain. They were trying to communicate with him but it held no context for him. He managed to raise a wall against the endless tide and sent out his own query.

_I come in peace. Why are you here?_

The response shifted to mirror his pointed inquiry; it took up the pattern of language. The chaotic movement among the Tenebres settled until they moved as one, yet still acted as many.

_**Single approach home space**_

_**Not single. Another inhabit other home space. Two sum together lesser than non singles.**_

_**Lesser speaks to non singles who inhabit home space. Lesser possesses question.**_

_**Lesser seeks knowledge. Do non singles answer?**_

_**Negation **_

_Please, hear me; I am the Doctor. What do you want here? Why do you seek to destroy these people? _he called at them, but his touch was brushed aside like it was of no more consequence than a tickling feather. The Doctor shouted at them, both mentally and vocally, _Darkness I name you, answer me! _Along the link they shared, the Doctor could sense Rose's teaming emotions but he had no thought to spare for her, the tumble of communication from the Tenebres took all his attention.

_**Lesser names itself the Doctor. **_

_**Names non singles Darkness. Concepts unfamiliar. **_

_**Darkness…Name…Explain. **_

It was not a request; the Doctor felt the many minds reaching towards him, seeking the context to the words. They had no concept of individuality; for all intents and purposes it was one being. As a result they were willing to simply pluck the knowledge from his mind with no regard if it left him a drooling babe, not to mention what it might do to Rose. _Wait! I'll explain. _They halted, lingering on the edges of his mind. _A name is a marker of individuality, something used to distinguish between many separate beings. Just as I am separate from you, thus I have a name. I named you Darkness because that is what you appear to be; the absence of light for those below you. I'm sorry I can't do any better than that. _

_**Darkness…understands. We are one. **_

The sensation of many vanished, to be replaced by the awareness of one mind.

_**Doctor speaks of below. Explain.**_

Again it was a command. The Doctor realized that the Tenebres had no concept of traditional space. They were aware only of the telepathic world, blind and deaf to the physical world. To them Earth was merely a concentration of flickering minds among the vast wilderness of emptiness. _Those who you sense are those below, the concentration of minds, from where I come from. They are they ones you are fighting. I seek the answer to why you are doing this. _

_**They are our children. **_

OOOOOOOO

Jack awoke to a throbbing head and a mouthful of dirt. He attempted to get up but made the rather unpleasant discovery that his hands were tied, tightly. His mouth had the cotton taste that usually cropped up after he had just been brought back. So whatever had attacked him in the clearing had killed him. Jack sighed; he had died more in the last few days than he had in the last year alone, an unfortunate side effect of traveling with the Doctor.

He was face first in the dirt, and it was dark; he had no idea where he was, or where Barker had ended up. The man truly deserved to die. Jack almost hoped that the creature had killed him as well, but that might mean the key to defeating the Tenebres had gone with him. It was a double-edged blade; Barker was a danger to keep alive but they faced a greater danger if he died without telling them the secret.

Grunting, Jack flipped himself over, as graceful as a floundering fish. Hands bound tightly behind his back he stared helplessly into the endless night. He couldn't see anything, he could be anywhere by now. Softly he called out, "Barker are you there?"

No one answered. The dark pressed on his eyes and no sound carried to his ears. If it wasn't for the dull throbbing of his trussed hands he would have thought that he floated in the void, deprived of all sensation. Jack strained to hear even the tinniest of noises, but there was nothing.

For an eternity he lay there, jumping at imaginary sounds. Finally a twig cracking caused him to jolt upright, useless eyes flitting to similar patches of dark. "Who's there?"

A moan answered, it was the same moan that he had heard back in the clearing. Tensing, Jack prepared to defend himself; he really didn't want to die again. A vague silhouette appeared, it was a void against the uniform darkness. Hands grabbed him and hauled him upright. They dragged him along, stumbling on rotting deadwood and roots. Finally his sensitive eyes caught the faint flicker of firelight, the hypnotic dance of illumination.

People, only in the loosest sense of the word, sat in a rough circle around the light. There were about twenty of them, all dressed in rags coated in dirt and blood, all with the same drooling expression. They were motionless, staring fixedly at the man closest to the fire. The man was none other than a very content looking Julius Barker.

"Jack, how good to see you!" Barker called out jovially at Jack's entrance. The man holding Jack forced him to kneel in front of Barker with a brutal kick to the back of his knees.

"Why aren't you dead yet Barker? Why couldn't these people have had the decency to kill you where you stood?" Jack growled from low in his throat.

"Ahh, you have forgotten something my dear Jack. You see I was never really in any danger from the insane people of this planet, not while I had this." He fondly patted a small orb held loosely in his left hand. Jack just stared at him, confused.

"So you still don't understand. My, my, the Doctor has certainly picked a thick lot to travel with. Or did he never tell you of the device that lets me bend men's minds to my will?" Barker sounded truly astonished.

"He did. I was under the impression that it wasn't something you carried around with you." Jack mentally cursed himself; how could he have forgotten? He should have expected they would run into people here, people who could be turned into living weapons.

"I see, just thick then. Well let me explain this to you carefully. I have a device. These are people. My device can influence people. I can make an army. An army that can hunt the Doctor, got it?" He spoke as if Jack was a small child.

Jack hung his head, guilt building in his heart. The Doctor, already weak and fighting an enemy that appeared impervious as darkness itself, now had another force to contend with. Who knew how many insane people Julius could find to hunt him down, and it was all Jack's fault. He had neglected to take the device, and to keep Barker from breaking free and starting his vendetta over again on a new world.

"Good, you are learning your place." All cheerfulness was gone from his voice, instead a malevolent threat dripped from each syllable. "I have a feeling that you would be the perfect addition to my army, the man who cannot die. Unfortunately, you seem to be unaffected by my converter, but there are other ways to break a man."

Jack's head snapped up, all color draining from his cheeks. Barker must have seen his resurrection.

Barker laughed; a mirthless laugh. "Yes I saw your pretty little trick. My guards told me of a man who came back from the dead, but I didn't believe them. But you were dead, I saw them rip out your throat, but yet here you are in front of me."

"I can't die. Congratulations on your discovery Barker." Jack spat, white-hot anger burning at his core. "I won't help you defeat the Doctor. I won't do it no matter what; I promise you that."

Insanity shone from Julius' eyes; he said happily, "And I promise _you_ that the Doctor _will_ pay dearly for what he has done. Believe me; he will pay."

_F/N: Love to hear any comment/suggestions/concerns. Thanks!_


	14. Chapter 14

_A/N: Thank you as always to those who have alerted/favorited/and otherwise shown an interest in this story, a special thanks to those who reviewed. It is a wonderful experience to be able to hear back from people. A brief side note, the next chapter maybe a while in coming, I am going on vacation so it shouldn't appear any time before Thursday, my apologies. My thanks going out to my beta laurajslr, again she had done a phenomenal job. If you feel so inclined I would love to hear from you, thanks. Without further ado…Enjoy!_

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who, if I did we wouldn't have to wait the extra week for Silence in the Library 

Chapter Fourteen: 

Julius dismissed Jack, sending him back to the clearing adjacent to the larger one. The darkness served a better jailer than stone walls. Jack was completely powerless, lying on the cold damp earth. If he concentrated he could hear the faint moans of Julius' enthralled lackeys and the soft footfalls of the wild animals that circled the camp, but that was all.

Alone in the dark, Jack's only company were his thoughts. _He will pay;_ the words ran through his mind. Jack worried and picked at them until his mind skittered off into the horrible permutations of that statement. _The Doctor dead…Rose dead or even worse…all hope of defeating the Tenebres gone…_

Shaking his head, Jack tried to force the images from his mind. The Doctor had faced worse enemies and succeeded. The Daleks, Cybermen, and who knew what else…all of their threats were eliminated thanks to the last Time Lord. Still, those were known quantities; the Doctor knew the threat he faced when he went up against them, but this Darkness was a whole new ballgame. Jack sighed; his efforts would be better used in trying to escape than contemplating the untimely demise of either the Doctor or Rose.

Keeping that thought in mind Jack tested the ropes, but they remained tight as ever. Julius' minions had bound his feet loosely, enough so that he could stumble along under their guidance, but only just. With hands and feet bound he would be easy prey to whatever lurked in the dark, if he dared to venture there. It was only proximity to the main camp that kept him safe now.

What he wouldn't give for a knife or even a sharp rock, but his questing fingers only met loose dirt. Jack's ears, ever alert for changes in the dense stillness, picked up a change of tone from the main camp. Sounds of moaning panic replaced the dull buzz of uniformed activity. Julius' harsh cries, muted by distance, sounded alarmed, "…attack…gather round the fire…"

Throwing caution to the winds, Jack shouted, "Help! Help! I'm over here!" After all, wasn't the enemy of his enemy his friend?

But Jack's cries for help weren't answered. Sounds from the main clearing slowly fell silent. A lone bird cried hesitantly out into the dark before diminishing into silence, ashamed to have spoken. Abandoned in the dark Jack held his breath, waiting.

Footsteps broke the deep quiet, approaching unevenly, as if the owner were uncertain of their path. The dark silhouette broke through the woods to the right of Jack's line of sight, weaving unsteadily. Harsh breathing filled the night between them, and then a rough voice spoke. "You called for help son?"

"Yes! I'm tied can you undo these ropes?" Jack said eagerly, twisting to show the stranger his bound extremities.

Dropping heavily to his knees the stranger pulled a knife from his belt, and sawed through the ropes tying Jack. The rank odor of unwashed flesh and unfettered wilderness rolling off the stranger nearly made him gag. Jack could see that the man favored his right side, the feathered shaft of an arrow poked from his shoulder.

"Come, haven't delayed 'em for long," the man grunted through gritted teeth as he severed the last of the ropes.

"Thanks." Jack rose to his feet, rubbing feeling back into his numb hands. "I'm Jack."

"Introduction can wait. Right now we have to move, they won't be far behind us." Like a feral deer he retreated to the edge of the forest, glancing around nervously. "Well are you coming?"

"I have to find my friends; I left them in a clearing somewhere around here. I don't know where exactly." Jack glanced about, debating which route to take.

"I don't care if your friends are from the stars themselves, in a moment the crazies are gonna come howling through here, and here is not where you want to be." He paused and then tempered his rough dismissal, "Come with me, and I'll see what I can do 'bout reuniting you with your friends. But we gotta go; I'm not going to leave my job half done and let 'em crazies get you again."

Jack's dilemma flitted across his face, his eyes skirting around the edges of the clearing. His mind was made up at the sound of approaching footfalls, crashing through the underbrush. Without a backward glance, Jack darted across the clearing and passed his rescuer into the dark beyond. Breathing heavily the man followed Jack's retreating form.

They ran through the night, meters ahead of their hunters. Finally, through a combination of fool's luck and a convenient overhang, the sounds of pursuit faded into the distance. Emerging from the entangled roots of a fallen tree Jack glanced reflexively at the stars to check their position. His eyes met only the shaded canopy of trees and then beyond…nothing. A stark reminder of which world he now inhabited.

"Don't bother checking, they're not there. Sometimes I doubt they ever were there. Fantasies to entertain little children, the stars and the moon, that's what they were. Don't even get me started on the sun. Ha! A giant fireball in the sky, preposterous! Harriet Jones is the name, after the Prime Minister who tried to save us. Jones for short." Jones held out his hand for Jack to shake.

Jack gingerly took the man's hand, trying to avoid contact with his stinking flesh. "Captain Jack Harkness. Just Jack will do."

"Captain, eh? Little portentousisn't it? Grandfather an army man or something?"

The aforementioned Captain chose to ignore the questions. "You said you would help me find my friends. I left them in a clearing; two big pines framed a big hill. Any idea where that might be?"

Jones paused for a moment, scratching a stubble coated chin in thought. "Indeed I do. If you don't mind, I'll need to stop by my camp to take care of some business before I take you there. Arrow in the shoulder is a mite painful."

Jack flushed invisibly in the dark; he had forgotten about the older man's injury. It hadn't seemed to slow him down during their flight. "Lead on. If I might impose, my recent experience has left me rather hungry."

"Nahh, it's no problem. Crazies usually don't feed their captives. In fact I'm surprised you aren't dead, normally you would be gracing their stewpot by now." Jones shot Jack a penetrating look. "Now that I think of it, this band was a bit more organized than the ones I usually bust up. Any idea why?"

Jack shrugged; he really didn't feel like explaining their quest to a stranger, "No idea."

"I reckon you do have some idea." He held up a placating hand. "It's alright, I won't pry. I just wanted to let you know I'm willing to help if it involves hunting crazies, they took my parents from me a while back."

With those words lying between them Jones led the way to his camp hidden in the cradle of two spurs of rock. From the exterior it appeared no more than a crack in a boulder but when Jack wormed his way into the interior the crackling light of a fire met his eyes. It was clear that Jones had lived here for a while, cured animal skins blanketed the floor and ancient faded photos were tacked to the walls. The smoke escaped through a small chimney in the ceiling, giving the room a hazy, dreamlike quality.

As Jones pulled the arrow and dressed his wound with practiced movements, Jack examined the faded photographs. They were ancient photographs, showing a family of five on Christmas, three boys tackling their parents, dressed in Santa hats. Again, the same family was captured, grinning from around a table laden with turkey and gravy. The final photograph was a Polaroid, a haggard but smiling couple dressed in military uniforms, behind them the window was pitch black.

"My great-grandparents, right after the Tenes came. Got married the day the eternal night fell. Romantic isn't it? 'Course they didn't last very long, dark was too much for 'em, it got 'em in the end. Tenes and crazies, that's our life, grand one isn't it?" He winced then chuckled bitterly, "Sorry, usually not this sentimental. Pain must be getting to me." Jones paused and then gathered himself, "Friends, you say?"

Jack nodded mutely; this was the life Rose had faced day in and day out for the last 125 years. A grand life, a grand struggle for survival, broken by the rare human companionship, before that too was snatched away. This old man, who had survived his entire life not knowing the sun or the stars, who believed them to be children's fables; he deserved to know the truth. "You're right about the 'crazies' back there. They are being led by a man, a man from my world who wants to use this one to pursue power and revenge. I come from the next world over, one where the sun still shines in the sky. My friends, the Doctor and Rose, and I came here to defeat the Tenebres."

Jones stared at Jack, then, absurdly, started to laugh. "What a story if I ever heard one. Next world over? Defeat the Tenes? Bah! You're a crazy my friend, a crazy if I ever saw one."

"Take me to the Doctor and I'll prove you wrong," Jack said as he clambered to his feet.

"I hope you do, son, I hope you do."

OOOOOOOO

_**They are our children**_

The Doctor reeled. _Children? _he queried. On the edges of his awareness the connection with Rose flickered then firmed.

_**Children**_

The vast awareness of the Tenebres faded, shifting away from the Doctor, instead moving inward. They were slowly excluding the outside world. The Tenebres expelled the Doctor from their midst, sending him spiraling away into the void; streaming sparks of his being behind him. Desperately the Doctor reached for the bit of him safely bound to Rose, trying to spin himself back together before too much of his being was lost into the abyss. Slowly his descent ground to a halt, the tether between him and Rose drawn tight, and the Doctor found himself hovering at the edges of the Tenebres' consciousness again. _Why? Why do you seek to harm me?_

The soft reply was fringed with hot leaden anguish.

_**Our Children…they hurt us…Doctor must go…he too causes pain…**_

The Doctor groped at the closing edges, _Why do I hurt you? Why do your children hurt you?_

_**Children are different…we must teach them...teach them to be the same…Doctor must go…he is linked to the…**_

The faint image accompanied the fading words. It was a glowing pyramid of black light, radiating malevolence. The Doctor faltered; it was the same pyramid, the one that he now knew Rose clutched to her chest back in the cave. He could vaguely sense the smooth surface underneath her fingers through their shared awareness. _Wait!_ he called after the Tenebres, but his voice echoed in the dark surrounding him, the light of the great mind was banked, inaccessible. The Time Lord sighed and felt for the anchor that bound him to both his body and to the mind of Rose.

Gasping, he surfaced. He became aware of his stiff body, and the quiescent form of Rose lying beside him. The Doctor was still bound to her, but Rose's mind had retreated, diving into dreams. Gently he severed their connection, savoring each moment as their hearts still beat in unison. He was exhausted; the desperate attempt to prevent the fraying of his mind had depleted his meager reserves. The Time Lord could feel, with each beat of his heart, a throbbing where the bullet had recently punctured his flesh. Exhaustion pulled at the edges of his vision, a dull haze fell over everything. Unable to resist any longer, the Doctor dropped down besides the silent Rose and drifted into dreams.

OOOOOOOO

Rose fled. Any illusions of being a great tree were shattered, that peace now eluded her. _Children. T_he word haunted her through her dreamscape, taunting her. The Tenebres ruined her world for…children? It made no sense. In her dream she reached for the steel pyramid, the one comfort she still had. She almost dropped the dream pyramid when she felt it, the real one, clutched in her hands. Somehow she knew it was real, no figment of her imagination, the awareness she shared with it was too raw. It almost seemed if she held her own severed limb in her hands.

As she watched, the shape shifted; it fused with her hands, the metal burning its way into her skin. Screaming, Rose tried to drop the pyramid but she couldn't, it was a part of her now. Blisters formed and popped at the edges of the molten metal, the sweet stench of burning flesh wafted up to Rose's nose, causing her to gag. Desperately she repelled her mind away from the brooding connection between her and the pyramid.

Tumbling through vague images Rose found herself on the edge of a pond, a giant pregnant moon hanging above her. She was entirely alone, no menacing connection with the pyramid, no shining golden bond with the Doctor. Alone…the Doctor? She fumbled for the anchor, she had promised to hold the Doctor to this world and now she had left him alone. She had no choice; she had to brave the pyramid again if she was to uphold her promise to the Doctor. She opened her mind again. The pond became an ominous void in the dreamscape, while the moon took on a golden hue.

Ignoring the pond lapping meters from her feet Rose stared at the moon, focusing urgently on its golden surface. The moon seemed to fade, as if clouds passed in front of it, but Rose held on, memorizing its surface. Finally it reappeared, blazing gloriously. Rose fell back, and watched as the tint drew back, the Doctor was safe. The pond pulled at her feet, one bond that was not gone. The pyramid was more than what it appeared, that was finally obvious to Rose. Retreating from its unwanted link and this confusing knowledge, she dove into comforting memories of childhood.


	15. Chapter 15

_A/N: My deepest apologies for making you wait for so long for this next chapter. My finals snuck up on me and then one thing led to another and before long I found that it had been a very long time since I had posted a chapter. It is slightly longer than normal, I hope that may make up for some of the wait. Thank you to my wonderful beta Laurajslr, for both her grammatical corrects and cultural corrections as well. As always I would love to hear from you all, and my thanks to those who have shown interest in this piece through all forms of feedback. Enjoy!_

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who, much to financial and emotional regret.

Chapter 15:

Rose awoke to find the Doctor sprawled next to her, snoring gently. She smiled at his face, relaxed in sleep. Then the memories she had tried to forget came crashing down on her and her smile faded. The Tenebres believed humanity to be their children, children that had to be taught. The weapon that she had sought so long to destroy them with instead seemed to be destroying her. She glanced down at her hands, they were whole, but if she concentrated hard enough she could still catch the faint odor of burning flesh.

She stood, careful not to disturb the sleeping Doctor, and rummaged through her pack, pulling out the offending object. It sat, balanced on her palm, burning with a faint blue energy that flickered over its no longer dull surface. She was tempted to toss it into the woods and be done with it, but something wouldn't let her. It was like fighting against quicksand, she simply couldn't muster the will to let the pyramid fall from her hand.

Behind her the sound of a child stirring shattered her thoughts. "Lupus?" Ella asked sleepily.

"I'm here," Rose said quietly, still contemplating the pyramid in her hands.

"I had the most 'orrible dream. The Tenes took me; it was so dark, so cold…Lupus?" Ella asked as Rose started to cry.

She whipped the tears away fiercely. "Nothing Ella, go back to sleep."

"Rose?" This time it was the Doctor. He sat up, one hand held protectively about his stomach. "What's wrong?"

"The Tenebres…they…humanity their children….." she choked out.

He held out his arms to her and she sought their comfort, she still clutched the pyramid to her chest. Carefully he pried it from her fingers and set it aside. "I told you it would be a difficult experience, but I never realized Rose; I never realized just how hard it would be, I'm so sorry."

Her fingers reflexively spasmed around the pyramid that she no longer held. "But it was more; the pyramid…it was horrible."

"Lupus, but you said that it would defeat the Tenes, what's wrong?" Ella looked around confusedly.

"Ella, Rose just needs a little time that's all, go back to sleep," the Doctor said over Rose's head.

"But I'm not sleepy," she said obstinately.

"Ella, can you do something very important for me?" the Doctor said seriously, hoping she would catch on. "Can you watch this screen and tell me if any dots approach?" he asked her as he handed over the vortex manipulator Jack had given him.

She nodded and sat still, or as still as a child of her age could be, staring at the small screen. The Doctor turned his attention back to Rose, who was calm in his arms. "Rose, what did you see?"

"I felt…" she choked, "I felt their pain, and I was the cause."

"No, thatpyramid is the cause, not you. There's more to that object than meets the eye, from what I felt there's some sort of physic bond between you and it; not a healthy one either."

"They said humans where their children. Why?" Rose looked at him with doe-like eyes.

"They believe that they are. They honestly don't understand what they've done to this world. Somehow they've confused their offspring with humans; that's what I would guess. What do you think? You saw the whole thing as well."

"I don't know," she shifted in his embrace, "I don't know. It was all so confusing."

"Rose this is your fight, what do you think?" The Doctor caught her gaze; it was important that she make the right choice at this moment. He knew in his gut that they shouldn't fight the Tenebres, not after his recent encounter with them; they were a confused and lost race, one that they should help, not fight. But he had given his word to Rose; it had to be her decision.

"I don't-," she hesitated.

"Rose…," he pleaded.

She froze, thinking. The Doctor clearly wanted her to decide this, it was important to him. But she was conflicted, torn between the vivid experiences she had just lived through and her ancient hatred of the Tenebres. She found deep in her gut a spark of pity for them, a race in such pain. The Doctor had spoken truly when he said he couldn't help it, couldn't help trying to understand them. Something of that ideal Rose still lived in her, and now that it was aware of it, that emotion of pity started to grow. "I can't…I can't fight them," Rose said in a trembling voice.

A smile slowly spread across the Doctor's face, tinged with sadness. "Thank you."

"Lupus, what do you mean?" Ella's voice punctured their moment.

"Ella; do you remember what I told you about the crazies, how they couldn't help themselves?" Rose said shakily; it seemed like she was trying to convince herself as well. Ella nodded. "Well the Tenebres are similar, they're confused, and now we have to try and help them."

"Okay Lupus, I trust you," she said in an earnest voice, "I'll help you help the Tenes."

"Oh Ella," Rose sniffed, "thank you."

"Rose do you feel up to heading back to the clearing? I don't want to leave Jack with Barker much longer."

"Yes," Rose said as she rubbed the remnants of tears from her eyes.

"Jack, Barker? Who are they?" Ella asked.

"Jack's a friend. Barker's a bad man that we're keeping so he doesn't hurt other people," the Doctor supplied.

"A bad man indeed," Rose said gravely, glancing at her thin and haggard Doctor.

"Do you know the way back?" the Doctor inquired sheepishly, "I was in somewhat of a hurry on the way here."

"Yes," Rose said as she climbed to her feet. Together the three of them made their way back to the clearing through the night. The Doctor spent most of the walk brooding about the pyramid; something had to be done before the bond between Rose and it became stronger, but he had no idea what. It was a problem that would have to be addressed after the Tenebres. _One problem at a time_, he thought, _one problem at a time. _

OOOOOOOO

Facing his new found ally across the hazy barrier of smoke Jack cracked a smile. There was something about this man that made him proud of the human race. Even with the light of the sun doused in black for over a hundred years the stubborn spark of humanity lived on in people like Jones. Granted that stubborn spark now refused to believe the tidings of hope that Jack bore, but time would reveal the truth, so he was content to let Jones believe that the dark had driven him slightly mad. Who knew, maybe you had to be slightly mad to travel with the Doctor. Speaking of that errant Time Lord, Jack wondered if he had reconciled with Rose yet. Every moment that he waited he risked having the Doctor coming back to an empty clearing. Hopefully he could return before that happened, then they could discuss the trials that lay before them. Impossible trials it seemed; defeating the Tenebres, dealing with Julius, restoring a shattered world…

Jones' rasping voice broke his revere, "Whatcha doing standing there, gawping at me like an idiot? Sure them crazies didn't give you a hit on the head that addled your brains?" He grinned at his own joke before moving stiffly over to a basket resting against the wall and rummaging inside. "Are you leaving?"

Jack stared at the back of Jones' head, confused. Leaving? He then noticed that he was standing. Chagrined he sat back down. Jack shook his head ruefully, forcing his tired brain back to the present. The last few days had been a grueling marathon for both his body and his mind. The cold hand of hunger clenched tightly around his stomach and Jack was reminded of one of the reasons that he had accompanied Jones in the first place. "Do you think I can get something to eat?"

"That's what I am doing. I'm afraid it isn't much, mushrooms and the like. Last year I found some canned peaches though, oh and they were near as heaven as I have ever tasted." He glanced over his shoulder to look challengingly at Jack. "Got things like that in your next world over?"

A smile flitted across Jack's face, "Peaches, pears, bananas…We got them all."

Jones' face screwed up in confusion. "Bananas?" he asked skeptically.

"You don't know what a banana is?" Jones just stared at him. "You really don't know do you?" Jack let out a hoot of laughter. "Oh, the Doctor will love this. I'll leave it to him to explain, he might even have one, you never know."

Jones glared at him, a scowl tracing deep lines across his weathered face. "I'm not an idiot, boy, so don't treat me like one. You may be from a world from where the sun do shine and you know what a banana is, but that doesn't make you any better than me." He fiddled with the pot over the fire, dropping dried mushrooms and some raw meat into the boiling water, causing it to hiss threateningly.

"What did I...oh…." Jack internally kicked himself. Jones had obviously worked hard to carve a life out for himself in the darkness and Jack had just walked in and rubbed his nose in what he lacked. He was stubborn and proud, and altogether right. "I'm sorry," he offered lamely, "the Doctor is obsessed with bananas, and to be introduced to someone who doesn't know what they are…well…" he trailed off.

Jones seemed to ponder Jack's words for a moment then offered gruffly, "Food will be ready in a moment."

"Thank you, I appreciate all that you have done for me," Jack said as he shifted closer to the warmth of the fire.

Jones glanced up from the pot. "I have a feeling, boy, that I will be thanking you before too long. Something tells me that you and this Doctor Rose pair will rock this poor world. Don't ask me why," he grinned at Jack, showing rotten teeth.

"I hope you're right Jones. I only hope you're right," Jack said with a small laugh.

They ate in a companionable silence, sharing the warmth of the flickering firelight. Finally curiosity spurred Jack to ask, "What do you know about the time before the Tenebres came? My friend, Rose, she's told me what happened at Torchwood, she was there but…" He stopped himself; it was best not to give away too many of their secrets. "What I meant is; what do you know of the Tenebres attack?"

"I know more that most, but that isn't much at all. Stories Torchwood puts out, sometimes an old artifact that still works. They tell stories of great machines that could carry people faster than a wolf can run, some that could even fly in the sky and beyond. Those are the ones I don't believe. The ones about the carries…no the cars, that's it, I can believe. With all those paths through the woods, I suppose they were once smooth enough for a wheel to turn on them, and the cars rusting hulks are still there. I've even been to the ruins of London, though that's mostly taken over by trees now, not much to see except the Torchwood building." Jones looked piercingly at Jack. "Did I hear correctly when you said your friend was with Torchwood?"

Jack chose not to answer the question; it was Rose's story to share if she wanted to. Instead he stood, stretching. "It's time we headed out. I can'twait any longer. The Doctor and Rose are probably already wondering where I am."

Jones simply nodded; he looked like he wanted to ask more about Rose. Jack sighed, "It's her story to tell, you can ask her when we meet them."

"Alright, I can't ask for more than that I suppose. The clearing I think you're talking about is about an hour's walk from here. I should be able to find it even though the darkness got darker," Jones said as he followed Jack out of the hidden grotto.

Jack looked back, Jones' last comment jogging his memory; Rose had said something of the sort. "Darkness got darker?"

"Yeah happened few hours back, just when I was headed out to hunt crazies. Any ideas, alien-boy?" Jones said as he jiggled with an ancient looking torch.

"No, my friend- Rose, she said something when we crossed over but I didn't realize it was so recent." Jack was struck with a sudden thought; could it be, could their arrival have caused the sudden further darkness? He would have to ask the Doctor.

"Is that so, boy?" Jones asked, amused, passing Jack in the darkness. The tired old torch that he held produced a wavering beam out into the night before them.

"The name is Jack, not 'boy'," Jack muttered indignantly underneath his breath as he followed his guide.

They tramped through the woods for the promised hour and more as Jones lost his way again and again. After the eighth time Jones pronounced he was lost Jack despaired; it seemed he had chosen the wrong guide. He had no choice but to stay with Jones though, he hadn't the slightest idea where they were. Finally, finally, Jones declared that he knew where they were. Jack groaned in relief; the anxiety over the Doctor and Rose had grown to form a tight painful knot in his chest.

"How much further?" he dared to ask.

"About five minutes if we don't run into any difficulties or crazies," Jones panted, clutching his injured shoulder.

"They're different?"

"They?" Jones asked, puzzled.

"Difficulties and crazies," Jack clarified.

"Oh," he gave a snort, "only if the crazies don't know any better. They usually run from me, I got a sort of 'reputation' among their kind. They fear me as much as they can fear anything."

Jones' last statement heralded their entrance into a familiar clearing. In the half light of the torch Jack could make out the bloody remains of his struggle. Unconsciously he touched his throat; it had certainly been one of his more messy deaths.

Jones hadn't failed to notice the remains either. "I hope that's crazy blood, otherwise I think your friends might not be meeting you after all."

"Trust me, that blood isn't theirs," Jack said with certainty.

"If you say so," Jones said with a side long glance at Jack.

Their conversation was broken by the sound of crackling underbrush and voices, three of them. They both tensed until a child's high pitched laugh danced into the black vault of the sky, quickly followed by three forms breaking into the clearing.

"Doctor! Rose!" Jack called out, gaining their attention.

"Jack!" came Rose's delighted cry.

They stepped into the light, the two adults and the trailing child. Jones took one look at Rose then gasped. He turned on Jack. "Why didn't you tell me your Rose was Lupus, the golden one?"

"Wait, what do you mean?" Jack spluttered.

"The golden one; Lupus, the one from whom the darkness retreats, the one who swore to eternally fight the Tenes. I thought she was a legend, left over from the light days but…how could I mistake that face, it's so like the one on the screen." He looked around at the puzzled faces. "The screen; the one in London, run by Torchwood that tells of the fall, she's their hero, the golden one. I guess you really are from another world, not to know of her." He looked at Rose, seeming to drink in the sight of her. She did not return his stare, but busied herself in talking softly to the child by her side.

The Doctor broke in, "Jack, who is this? And where's Barker?" He had expected only to find Jack here with Barker, not a raving stranger, speaking about Rose as if she were some prophet.

Jones bristled, "I'm Harriet Jones. I assume you're the Doctor."

Jack quickly added, "Jones helped me find my way back after Barker kidnapped me."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow, "Kidnapped?"

"Long story, but the short of it is that he's escaped and now has a force of insane people at his command." Jack winced internally; the situation sounded a whole lot worse when he said it aloud.

Jones looked from the Doctor back to Jack then to Rose. "So is it true? You've come to fight the Tenes? Are you going to end the darkness?"

The Doctor opened his mouth to speak but Rose spoke instead, her voice grave, "No, we're not going to fight the Tenebres."

Jones just stared at Rose, mouth agape. The Doctor cut in swiftly, "Jack I'd like to hear more about Barker, and no doubt you want to hear about…well, hear about what prompted the sudden change of heart. That's best done away from this clearing; I'm sure Barker won't be long in coming back here."

Jones seemed to shake himself from his daze. "You aren't fighting them?" he asked stupidly. "But you swore…"

Rose colored in the faint light of the failing torch. "I think it's best we head back to the cave. Doctor?" Her new resolve to shelve her vendetta seemed suddenly foolish. It was true, though exaggerated in the stories Jones spoke of, that she had sworn to fight the Tenebres for eternity. To have that brought to light now, when she had just so recently changed her mind made it seem all the more a betrayal to the people she had promised herself she would protect.

The Doctor seemed to sense her turmoil because he put a comforting arm around her. "I agree. Shall we? I really don't want to meet Barker again until I have to; he's hardly the type of person I would ask around for a nice morning tea. Well, not that I usually have nice morning teas on the TARDIS." He looked down at Rose and gave her a small smile which she returned hesitantly.

Ella piped up, looking at the vortex manipulator that she held in small hands, "Lupus, are all those dots supposed to be coming towards us?"

_F/N: Comments are very much appreciated. Thanks!_


	16. Chapter 16

_A/N: Greetings all! First off, as always I would like to thank those who have reviewed _Lupus: Return of the Wolf_, I am ever so grateful for all your kind words. Second, I would like to thank my beta_ laurajslr_ as always she does a stellar job making sure the latest chapter doesn't fall apart. This lovely piece of text is a bridging chapter, just to make sure everything is clear before I continue, though I'm not entirely sure it does its job :D. If you do feel like responding, as ever, I would love to hear from you. Enjoy!_

_**A/N II - 6/28/08- I was hoping to put up another chapter but that doesn't appear to be possible right now. I would like to sincerely apologize for the wait but I am leaving for three weeks to attend a camp that, much to my displeasure, has no access to internet or even computers. As a result which you no doubt can conclude **_**Lupus_ is currently on hold. Again, my apologies, and thank you as ever for your support. _**

Disclaimer: I don't own the wonderful world of Doctor Who, and I'm sort of glad that I don't, just imagine all the _work_ :D.

Chapter Sixteen:

_Are all those dots supposed to be coming towards us?_

Rose whirled about and pulled the device from Ella's hands, glancing down she swore. "This isn't good Doctor, not good at all. More than a score of them, and that's all that fit on the screen."

"Can we head back the way we came?" The Doctor spoke, as he strode to her side, glancing from the small screen to the woods around them, illuminated by their two torches.

"Right now it doesn't matter, we have to _RUN_!" Jack shouted the last word as a person dressed in rotting rags broke into the light, followed shortly by others.

The scene descended into chaos; grunting and moaning figures, like something straight out of the latest zombie flick, swarmed the clearing from three sides, lit only by the flickering brands they bore and the harsher light of the two torches. Unlike those blockbuster monsters that only wandered aimlessly, these insane citizenry had a sense of purpose, a deadly one. Whether it was some remnant of intelligence or Julius' imposed controls, they made unerringly towards the companions. It would have been comical except for the fact that each of the crazies held a rudimentary weapon, some even had bows and they appeared to know how to use them.

All four adults turned and fled, showing fleeing heels to the oncoming threat, but Ella just stood there, shaking. Her face was a frozen look of a deer in the headlights. Rose paused on the edge of the tree line. "Ella, _run!_"

Rose's voice broke through the young girl's paralysis; she crumpled to the ground, and curled into a fetal ball. Her voice barely reached Rose over the sounds of the oncoming crazies. "Don't hurt me, don't hurt me, don't hurt me…," she repeated the mantra over and over again.

Breaking from the cover of the trees, Rose dashed to Ella's side and swept the small form into her arms. Grunting she hefted the girl over her shoulders and ran into the darker night under the canopy of the trees. In her rush, Rose failed to notice the small object that fell from her pack and landed with a soft _thump_ on the forest floor.

"Rose!" the Doctor shouted from further up the hill. Stumbling through the dark with the quaking Ella in her arms Rose followed his voice. His tall form appeared out of the dusky night, standing by a gnarled oak. The Doctor was bent nearly double, grasping his side, panting. "There you are…thought we had…lost you."

Jones appeared from around the oak, muffling his torch so only enough light to illuminate his carved features seeped through; right now they were twisted into an anxious mask. "Lupus, Doctor, come on! They're comin'," he hissed.

They were screened from sight, but they could hear the cracking of branches and rustling of underbrush as their pursuers closed on their position. Jack followed Jones around the tree. Wordlessly he took Ella's comatose body from a winded Rose, along with his vortex manipulator. He glanced down at it and then motioned for them to follow. Jones jogged after him, the Doctor made to follow but then gave a small gasp and fell to his knees. Rose hastened to his side and slid a hand beneath his jacket, it came away sticky with blood. "Doctor?" she whispered fearfully.

"All this running…must have torn…the wound…open again," he panted. "Help me…get up." He laboriously pulled himself to his feet with Rose's aid.

They stumbled after Jack and Jones, but they didn't make it more that thirty yards before a familiar voice rang out through the woods. "Thank you kindly Doctor. After all that effort to get it, and then to leave it lying on the ground, it smacks of carelessness. Don't worry though, even though you've given me this gift Doctor, I still will find you. I never did get to see how you die from aspirin, and I am rather curious. Come on out, Doctor, and I promise you a quick end for your friends."

The Doctor froze, Rose stumbled a few more paces before she too lurched to a halt. He shot her a questioning glance, _what had she left behind?_

It could only be one thing, Rose was sure. Desperately she tipped her pack upside down, carelessly scattering her meager belongings across the forest floor. She dropped to her knees, a panicked look across her face, fingers flying like caffeinated spiders she tore through the objects. Praying, hoping, but it wasn't there, the pyramid was gone. He had it; Barker had the pyramid.

The Doctor stooped down and grabbed the makeshift rift manipulator from the pile, stuffing it into the pocket of his overcoat. He reached out and touched Rose on the shoulder. She glanced up with tear stained cheeks. "What?" she mouthed.

"We have to go," he hissed, "pyramid or no pyramid."

Rose surged to her feet, and moved to support the wavering Doctor. Julius' shouts stung at their retreating backs. "I'm off to London, my friend. London, got that? My wrist device tells me that there is a power source big enough to power this pyramid. Big enough to wipe out these…what do the locals call them? Tenebres; how quaint. Meet me there and I might just spare the blonde girl's life. Got it Doctor? London!"

OOOOOOOO

They staggered into the safety of Rose's cave moments later with Jack and Jones on their heels. Rose carefully lowered the Doctor onto Ella's pallet in the back on the cave; he let out a soft low moan of relief. "I guess this would fall on Martha's list of things _not_ to do," the Doctor said cheerfully through gritted teeth.

"Yes it would, I can't believe I let you do this Doctor. You may be safe from the Tenebres, but…," Rose let out a heartfelt sigh, "…you're hardly safe from yourself."

Jack looked up sharply from his attempts to soothe Ella. "Is he alright?"

"I'll be fine," the Doctor said as he rolled his eyes and pushed away Rose's questing hands, "I want to hear, though, how Barker got away."

So Jack related his account, finishing with Jones' rescue and their trip to the clearing. "You really don't know what a banana is?" the Doctor asked incredulously. "You really don't?"

Jones nodded tiredly, "I've been over this before with Jack, son, no I don't."

The Doctor sunk his hand up to his elbow into the pocket of his coat, fishing around. With a flourish he pulled out the yellow fruit. "_This_ is a banana." With the ease of practice he peeled the banana and handed it to Jones. "Enjoy," he said with a grin.

Jones took it dubiously, as though it might explode. He stared at it a moment and then sank his teeth gingerly into the flesh of the fruit. He chewed thoughtfully for a moment and then swallowed with a grimace.

"So, what do you think?" the Doctor asked eagerly, leaning forward in anticipation.

Jones thought for a moment. "That was possibly the most disgustin' thing I've ever tasted."

The Doctor looked crestfallen. With a sigh he sank back onto the pallet. "Well at least I tried." He shifted his attention back to Jack, "Barker had his troop controlling device with him?"

"Yes, he showed it to me. It was a small orb about this size." Jack held up a closed fist.

"How many," he said the word distastefully, "'crazies' does he have with him?" The Doctor's mind churned; as long as Julius had that device he would be able to defend the pyramid. It was possible, though only barely, that if he could relieve Julius of the device, he might be able to reverse its effects. It was vital that they get back the pyramid before Julius hooked it up with the power source in London, if they were going to help the Tenebres.

"I don't know, I would guess nearly thirty." Jack hesitated then spoke. "Doctor, if you don't mind me asking; why aren't we just letting him defeat the Tenebres for us?"

Jones looked on with interest. "That's what I wanna know. Jack told me all about your little quest to defeat the Tenes, and now you go and change your mind, what's up with that?"

Rose was the one who answered from her position beside the Doctor. "Because I was wrong about why the Tenebres were here, we all were. They aren't here to invade, if I understand correctly, they don't even know what we are." She looked at the Doctor for conformation, he nodded and she continued. "They think humans are their children. They're as confused as we are, and in incredible amounts of pain."

Rose paused and the Doctor spoke. "I would imagine that something drove them from their actual children, and they sought humanity as surrogate children. The beams that raked the earth and caused people to vanish weren't attacks; the Tenebres were merely bringing their individual children into the collective mind, or so they thought."

"But then, what 'bout those who were taken, does that mean they're still alive?" Jones looked confused, but the hope of those taken existing in some manner drove him to ask.

"Yes, well…it depends on what you call alive. They're part of a collective mind of the Tenebres now. The Tenebres spoke of their children causing them pain; I would assume the consciousnesses of humanity are not exactly melding with the rest of the mind. From what I sensed they are well on the way to becoming part of the Tenebres."

"So are they alive or not?" Jones asked, frustrated.

The Doctor sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "They are alive in the sense that their consciousnesses still exist, but they're all one individual now. The people you knew are gone, I'm sorry."

"So how do we make them go away, if they aren't hostile?" Jack broke the uncomfortable staring match between Jones and the Doctor.

"We'll try and talk to them. Rose and I already tried, but they closed their mind to me before I could make myself heard." The Doctor remembered the experience with a wince; he had been so very close to losing himself completely.

Rose spoke, "We have to stop Barker before he reaches London, if he attacks the Tenebres with the pyramid we'll have no chance of communicating with them." Jack looked at her questioningly. "When I was in possession of the pyramid there was some sort of bond forged between me and it. When I was connected with them through the Doctor, it seemed to cause them incredible amounts of pain. I don't want to imagine what will happen once it's hooked up to a power source."

"But if that's the case, won't Barker need a telepath to attack them with the pyramid?" Jack pointed out.

"Not necessarily," the Doctor corrected, "we don't really know that much about the pyramid. For all we know if it is hooked up to a power source strong enough it doesn't need that telepathic connection." He turned to Rose. "Am I correct in assuming that the sense you had of the pyramid is gone?"

Rose nodded. In truth, it wasn't. She was still vaguely aware of the foreboding presence in the back of her mind, scratching at the edges. Something seemed to stop her response to the Doctor, as if a thick fog was stifling her will. He had enough on his plate at the moment, she reasoned, explaining her untruth to herself.

He smiled at her. "I'm glad to hear; that's one weight off our chest." Rose felt momentarily guilty before that emotion too was smothered in the fog along with her will.

Jones spoke from his corner of the cave, chewing thoughtfully on his finger. "Even if this Julius gets to London, he'll still have to get past Torchwood to get to the power source."

"Torchwood?" the Doctor spluttered. "I thought they were gone."

Rose shifted uncomfortably and then spoke resignedly. "The original Torchwood fell; I witnessed the destruction of the Canary Wharf building. A new organization has risen under the same name intent on bringing back the 'age of technology and progress,' or so the rumors go. But, I didn't think they were either relevant to our original goal or necessarily true." She noted the tense form of the Doctor and gave a small smile. "In this world the original charter is different, they don't spell you out as an enemy, and even if that were the case, this Torchwood is no more than a shadow of the previous entity. I doubt they even remember the original charter."

The Doctor relaxed; he really wasn't a big fan of anything that bore the name of Torchwood. He asked Jones, "So is it true?"

"Of course," Jones replied indignantly, "I've been there, seen it with me own two eyes. I might even ask 'em why the darkness got darker while we're there. They got all the technology that still works, includin' the screen that tells about Miss Lupus here."

Rose snorted. "I'm not the hero they make me out to be Jones. You should know that by now."

"Hold on a second, just one tiny second," the Doctor said, realizing something in a flash of insight as he stirred excitedly on his nest of blankets. "Jones, you would know when the darkness increased, wouldn't you."

"Aye, I would know," Jones said with a smug grin, "it was few hours before I rescued Jack. Couldn't tell you exactly but…"

He was cut off by the Doctor's sudden exclamation. "Just the time we arrived! It must be the pain that the pyramid is causing that made the darkness increase. Oh Rose; I think I just figured out how to bring the sun back!"

_F/N: oOo a cliffe…well sort of ;D. Below is a quick few words that I couldn't help writing, think of it as a blooper. _

_Jones took the banana dubiously, as though it might explode. He stared at it a moment and then sank his teeth gingerly into the flesh of the fruit. He chewed thoughtfully for a moment and then swallowed with a grimace._

"_So, what do you think?" the Doctor asked eagerly, leaning forward in anticipation._

_Jones looked up, a blissful smile on his face. "It was incredible." _

_The Doctor gave Jones his widest grin, "See, I told you, a great source of potassium _and_ they are the stuff of heaven." _

"_I'd have to agree. My son, I think I just found a new path to life, all thanks to this incredible fruit." He looked down on the end of the banana he held in his hand, and stared at it reverently, tears streaking his cheek. "I henceforth declare that I shall spread the word of the wonderful, amazing, incredible, banana." _

"_Finally! Someone who appreciates bananas for what they are worth." The Doctor leapt to his feet, beaming. "I declare you protector of the banana, Harriet Jones, and I will join you on your noble quest."_

_Rose tugged on the Doctor's sleeve, a scandalized look on her face, "Uhh, Doctor, what about the Tenebres and Julius?" _

"_Who cares about the Tenebres," the Doctor and Jones said in unison, "We have BANANAS!" _

_Jack mutter to Rose under his breath, "I don't think they just have bananas, I think they _are_ bananas." _

Hope you enjoyed :P.


	17. Chapter 17

_A/N: I am very much sorry that I haven't updated, in…pretty much forever. My sincerest apologies to those who read this story, life happened and before I knew it, it had been _months_ since I had touched this story. I am going to try and wrap it up in a reasonable time period, but again life might get in the way, specifically fun college things, so updates will be sporadic at best. Again sorry. So before I leave you to actually reading this story again two things. First off I would like to extend my sincerest thanks to my former beta _Laurajslr _who has put so much time in to this piece; sadly she is no longer able due to real life demands but I would like to thank her anyway for all her hard work. This means that my work will probably be a little bit more error riddled henceforth than previous chapters, sorry about that, but I'll try to do my best. Second, I would like to thank profusely all those who have reviewed _Lupus_, added it to their favorites, and alerted, you have no idea how much that means to me. As always I would love to hear from you all. Enjoy!_

Disclaimer: I Do not (still) own Doctor Who, unfortunately for my starving wallet

Chapter Seventeen 

Rose just sat there; her face was a mask of disbelief, frozen, with wide eyes gazing at the Doctor. "You know how to do what?" she said disbelievingly.

The Doctor gave a slight smile, and shifted slightly in his nest blankets, he looked insufferably smug. "I said I know how to turn the sun back on; well…I know how to, at the very least, make it visible again. I'm really brilliant, you know that Rose, really brilliant. You see, the Tenebres are responding to pain, the pain of absorbing humanity to be precise. That's making the sky dark; it's the physical manifestation of their pain. The more agony they experience the darker the sky gets, obviously. If we can convince them to expel the mind of humanity from the rest of their consciousness, the sky should return to normal. The Tenebres won't even have to leave the area of space surrounding Earth." At the conclusion of his speech the Doctor gave the assembled four a huge grin, flashing teeth.

Jack snorted at the Doctor's ecstatic look, "So basically, what we have been planning to do all along, help the Tenebres. Correct?"

"Yes, well, at least we now know how to do it," the Doctor said, his smile widening, impressed with his own brilliance.

Jones stood up; he looked ready to strangle the Doctor. "You're speakin' all high and mighty, but what do ya propose we do? I don't have some convenient little device hid in my pocket to call back humanity."

The Doctor's grin slowly faded from his face, and his countenance assumed a serious cast. He was starting to grow annoyed at Jones, with all his doubt and hesitation; he seemed to be the other side of humanity's unquenchable curiosity and spirit. Jack apparently liked the man, but the Doctor couldn't see why. "I'm not like you Jones, I'm not constrained by a tiny human mind. I'm the last of my race, the Time Lords, and I can do things that you can't even imagine. One of those things I'm able to do is communicate with the Tenebres." The Doctor rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath, "…more annoying than the real thing."

Jones stopped his pacing and turned to look at the Doctor, his face sliding from fury to defeat. He said gruffly, "I'm sorry, it's just that you've promised so many things, first to defeat the 'em, and then you promised that you'd bring back the sun. You're just one man; pardon me, if I find it hard to believe that you can do it all." He gave a sad, strangled chuckle, "A man who can hardly stand." He turned away from the Doctor and slid a grubby hand into his pocket, extracting something before going to stand by the cave mouth.

A moment passed and Rose gave Jones a grudging look of approval, which he didn't notice, lost in thought and staring at something in hidden in his hands. "Doctor, he's right about one thing, you _can_ hardly stand, let alone go after Julius and his men. Let me go with Jack and Jones to get the pyramid back. You can stay here with Ella."

"Rose, I hate to point out to you but I'm the only telepath in this group, so unless you're planning to throw satsumas at the Tenebres, I've got to go with you." The Doctor said with a trace of humor in his tired voice. "'Sides do you really expect me to sit on my hands while you are having all the fun," he yawned.

The Doctor could see the reluctant acceptance spread across Rose's face. She threw up her hands in defeat, "Alright, I won't stop you, but if you collapse I'm not explaining things to Martha." It was her last ditch effort to dissuade the Doctor, the man was stubborn beyond belief sometimes.

A little bit of color faded from the Doctor's face as he remembered Martha's lengthy speech, he _had_ promised not to do anything stupid. He had no desire to face an irate Martha, no more than he would have wanted to face an enraged carnivore. "I'll just follow Ella's lead and ahh…rest then before we head out." The Doctor said quickly, letting himself slide back down into a supine positing and his eyelids droop. On the other side of the cave Ella had dropped from her terrified shivering into restful sleep.

After a moment of silence, both Rose and Jack yawned in unison. Rose laughed softly, "We all could do with a rest. I'm feeling each of my one hundred and forty nine years." In the flickering light of the firelight she looked hardly a day over nineteen.

Jack rolled his eyes at Rose's comment and stretched. It was good to see her pulling a joke, even if it was at her own expense. He said in good spirits, "Compared to you, Rose, I'm ancient, thousand plus easily, imagine how _I _feel."

"Oi, nine hundred and three thank you very much, and feeling fine," the Doctor interjected from his nest, shifting to a more comfortable position, he winced. In a softer voice he added, "Though the odd bullet does put a damper on things."

Jones glanced at his companions, distracted from his melancholy by their exchange. He looked at them all for a moment, comparing their youthful countenances. With the air of a man who has finally seen too much in life he said, "You mean…you mean I'm the youngest here, 'sides young Ella? Fifty seven and I'm only a striplin'?"

Jack snorted, amused by the man's disbelief. "Welcome to the old people's home. If it'd make you feel any better he's an alien," the Time Lord waved, "I'm a walking fact of the universe," he gestured grandly at himself, "and Rose, well she's just…special," he finished with a grin.

Rose looked up from besides Ella sleeping form and raised an eyebrow. "Special?" Rose whispered at Jack, as not to wake Ella, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "That's the best you could come up with."

"Well you are," the Doctor cut in, propping himself up on his elbows to give Rose a mischievous wink.

"Oh don't you start too, Doctor," Rose raised a threatening hand, but a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth betrayed her.

"Nope, not starting, finishing," he corrected with a wide yawn that threatened to snap his face in two, "I need less sleep than you humans, so if I'm ready to drop…"

"Good night Doctor," Jack got the hint and hunkered down within the folds of his greatcoat.

The five of them in the cave made for a crowded, but comfortable, atmosphere. Glancing over at Rose, Jack saw that she still knelt by Ella's side, smoothing sweaty hair back from her brow. Quiet reassurances fell from her lips, soothing the girl's troubled sleep. Her blonde hair, golden in the banked light of the torch, fell in front of her face, shielding her features. If he hadn't known to look for it, the scar across her neck would have been invisible. Like the other traces of her ordeal it seemed to be fading, replaced by the image of shining eyes, brimming overfull with life. The battle scarred veteran who had stumbled out of the forest a few days ago bore only a superficial resemblance with the lively woman that now comforted the child.

Rose turned away from Ella, having reassured herself and the girl that all would be well. The Doctor was right, tiredness was nibbling at the corners of her mind, and with it the advancing tide of exhaustion, so too did the brooding sense of the pyramid. It almost seemed as if she could feel it, carried along in Barker's grubby hands…but no, that was only her imagination. Sighing, she stretched, pulling kinks out of muscles and bones. She laid herself carefully along side the Doctor. His arm snaked out from under his greatcoat and pulled her close, burying his nose in her fragrant hair. Rose relaxed into his embrace. "How are you holding up?" She whispered into his shirt.

"I should be asking you that, it's been hardest on you."

"Doctor…" She prodded not sidetracked from her original question.

"Minus a few holes, I'm just tired. I just want to get away from this entire mess with you, take you to Barcelona. We never did get there." He smiled resignedly, "I want to explore the universe by your side, and leave this whole business of Tenebres and Barker in someone else's hands."

Rose just breathed in the scent of his shirt; sandalwood, old parchment, and apple grass. It was a smell she had never forgotten.

The Doctor continued with a sigh, "But there's no one else. I'm the last of the Time Lords, and never has that title felt as heavy as it does now. I tried so hard to distance myself from my people, with their stifling ceremonies and hidebound ways; but now that they're gone…I miss them, Rose, I miss them so much. I never realized how much of their duty would fall to me. I'm just one Time Lord; there's only so much I can do."

"You may be the only one, but you're the best. You're the Doctor…_my _Doctor," Rose murmured harshly, wrapping an arm around him and giving him a fierce kiss.

He breathed a contented sigh as she pulled her lips away from his, "…and you are my Rose. My beautiful, darling Rose."

Together they lay in the shadowed darkness, listening to the rise and fall of their breath in unison. Slowly, Rose's grip slacked, her breath deepening into the untroubled, unbroken sleep of the sheltered. The Doctor couldn't loose himself in sleep as easily, his mind ranged far, refusing to settle. He was aware of Jones rustling nearby, but blocked the sounds from his mind. The man was another issue for another time, an unreliable source of information about Rose's world, though what he had said about Torchwood intrigued the Doctor. Was it possible the organization was truly the last bastion for civilization in this battered world? He hoped it was the case; help with the showdown against Julius would be welcome; more than welcome, he needed it more than it would care to admit. His ever busy mind finally stopped its erratic patterns and he drifted towards the precipice of sleep.

Jones sat in the corner of the cave, on the opposite side of the four curled sleepers, a tight nit family indeed. Staring at the young girl in the corner, black hair replaced brown in his mind eye and he blinked away tears. Carefully he pulled out a folded piece of paper he had been looking at earlier. On its surface the face of young boy looked up, his cherubic expression captured lovingly in charcoal. "Mathew," Jones muttered softly as a tear carved a track down his grim encrusted face.

"Doctor," he looked up from the picture in his hands, sliding it unobtrusively back into a pocket, "how are you goin' to separate 'em? I mean you certainly nailed the point home that you can talk to the Tenes, but how does that help? It's not like there gonna give up their 'children' just 'cause you're talkin' at 'em. From what you told me, that's the whole point of 'em bein' here."

"Oh Jones," the Doctor answered from the edges of sleep, "if there is one thing I'm good at its talking, believe me, I'm _very_ good."

OOOOOOOO

They found what was left of London two days later, or rather it found them. The Doctor, exhausted and travel worn, tripped over something hidden in the grass. With the comic grace of someone whose limbs no longer obey them, he landed on his hands and knees, emitting a hiss of pain. He climbed to his feet, pulling the offending object from where it was half buried in the dirt. Under the coating of grime and dents, the Doctor could barely make out the numbers and letters that indicated it was a license plate. He stared at the plate, the paint long since faded from it; with a slender finger he traced the faint lettering. Then with a savage jerk of his arm he threw it from him, out into the murky darkness. He heard it land with a faint clatter on some hard surface, another ruin of London. "I think we've arrived," was his response to Rose's questioning glance.

In those two days, both Rose and the Doctor had trailed behind Jones; who had lead silently, illuminating their way with the poor light of their sole remaining torch. Rose had aided still sore Time Lord along, offering her arm whenever they encountered difficult terrain. They had left behind the tenuous security of the forest at the end of the first day, and now traveled across the exposed expanse of fields. Darkness pressed in on their little bubble of light, often the only sound was the slap of grass against their legs. No one was very talkative, with the exception of young Ella, who had struck up a friendship with Jack.

"Tell me more about the aliens, please Uncle Jack? _Pleeaase_," her voice laced with the pleading tone children know very well adults can't ignore. Jack could imagine the quivering lip that went along with that tone, but from her position on his shoulders was thankfully shielded from most of its effects.

"Which ones Ella? You know there are hundreds upon thousands upon millions of aliens out there." He had to smile, even with her young life torn apart around her by the selfsame aliens; her boundless curiosity about other races had not been quelled. The more he reflected on it, Jack realized that the worst creatures in her life were the ones that had taken her adopted siblings from her, not the aliens that darkened the sky.

"The ones you told me 'bout, the ones with the funny tentacles and have bioloomen…bio...biolemoness…," she fumbled over the big word.

"Bioluminescence?" prompted Jack.

"Yeah, that one. The ones that glow," She sounded pleased that he had understood her.

"Well they come from a planet not unlike this one; only their planet has three moons-"

Ella cut him off, "What's a 'moon'?"

Of course, she had never seen the moon, how quickly Jack had forgotten their present situation as soon as relative peace had fallen. It could have been a moonless night except for the length of it. "It's a giant silver disk up in the sky. This planet has one, but you can't see it because of the Tenebres."

"Oh," was all that Ella said before she lapsed into silence, the magic of the moment broken.

Behind him Jack heard the Doctor stumble and his low groan of pain. It was the fourth time that hour that the Doctor had fallen. Though he didn't say anything, Jack knew that the two day trek had been hard on him, harder than he let on. Martha was right in the fact that he wasn't ready for any of his usual saving the Earth stunts. In fact, all that he did look good for was being tucked into a warm bed and being doted on. But the threat of Barker and the pyramid was constant now, hovering just outside the ring of torchlight.

"Jones!" Rose's call rang pass Jack's ear and snagged the attention of their lamp bearer, "The Doctor needs to stop for a bit, come back here and give us some light."

Jack knelt down and lifted Ella from his shoulders. Relieved of his burden, he jogged back to were the Rose knelt beside the Doctor's hunched form. "How are you doing Doctor?"

"I'm fine, really. I'm fine," he said in a small voice, trying to shrug off Rose's concerned hands, "I'm just tired."

"Doctor…," Rose said a warning voice. Her hands carefully inserted themselves under his coat, and she grimaced as she found them sticky with blood. Silently, she extracted her hand and showed the crimson stain to the Doctor.

"A little rest would do me some good," he halfheartedly admitted.

Jones trudged his way back to the little party, an unhappy look on his face, "Doc, how are you goin' to defeat the Tenes if you can barely stand?" He ignored the brief flash of annoyance that crossed the Doctor's face and continued, addressing Rose, "We're 'bout four hours from Torchwood as it is now, it should be another three before we start runnin' into the sentries."

Rose thought for a moment, it had been almost five years since she had been in the Torchwood settlement, but those figures seemed about right. Torchwood was one of the last bastions of safety in a battered world. As a result a settlement had grown up around the Torchwood building. The settlement's first line of defense was a series of sentries about an hour out to warn of any dangers that might pose a threat to the settlement.

"Then we should try and get there before we stop, if we really are that close," the Doctor protested as he tried to rise to his feet, ignoring Rose's disapproving look, "Every moment we delay Barker gets closer to activating the pyramid."

Rose nearly growled; she had forgotten this side of the Doctor, "If you regenerate now, do you think that will do any of us any good?"

The Doctor didn't cease his efforts to get up. "And do you think it will do this world any good if Barker activates that pyramid?" He continued in a softer voice, "All you have done for this world would be for nothing. I can't let that happen to you, Rose, I can't"

Their gazes locked, both too stubborn in their love for one another to back down.

Ella wandered over to sit beside the Doctor, "What's wrong with taking a nap? I do it all the time," she said with the wisdom a child. To demonstrate her point, she lay down and began to emit slow exaggerated snoring.

The Doctor laughed, tension broken. "Well, I suppose if Ella is sleeping, we can't go anywhere. I might as well rest."

Rose breathed a sigh of relief, she was afraid that she might have to hit the Doctor over the head with something hard to stop his headlong rush to London. She loved the Doctor but sometimes he was just so infuriatingly _stubborn_.

They made themselves comfortable around a small fire, made from dried twigs and branches Jones had gathered. In truth they all had needed this pause, not just the Doctor. The constant danger was wearing on their minds, the darkness that surrounded them seemed to be a physical manifestation of the threat that Barker posed. The flickering light hypnotized Rose's tired eyes; the rest of the party had long ago dropped into true sleep. Rose found it impossible to do so; the morbid connection with the pyramid would not let her mind rest. Over the last two days that connection had grown stronger, even now she was aware of it riding in Julius' hands as he and his crazies snuck past the Torchwood sentries. Julius had finally come to Torchwood.

_F/N: Updates (hopefully) to come soon. And thank you for reading!_


	18. Chapter 18

_A/N: Ummm…Hi? Bet you thought this thing had gone into the land of unfinished fanfics, funny thing, so did I. But strange things have happened, namely my muse trap finally worked and captured another muse for this story. I was reading the wonderful reviews you guys have given me over the months and honestly, _Lupus_ belongs to you, because I certainly don't deserve all the amazing things you've said, not after my pathetic lack of updates. I'm going to try and finish this beast, not only because I have finally reached a 100 pages in word, but because I owe it to you all. That said, updates will probably still be sporadic. In the next few weeks I have *takes a deep breath*, AP exams, jaw surgery, graduation, etc…So in between it all I'm going to write like the devil and sell my sleep to the highest bidder and hopefully Lupus will be finished. Thank you all who have offered your support to me, I only hope I can earn it back. Without further ado I present the 18__th__ installment of _Lupus_, please enjoy!_

Disclaimer: I don't own the Doctor, because if I did, David Tennant would be bound, and I mean literally bound, into serving another year as the Doctor. 

Chapter Eighteen 

He was bored. Henry Clay had been standing in the same spot for over three hours now watching as the darkness, or the things in it, did…nothing. Not the most entertaining task but one that the Torchwood Council laid upon him, and one that he was determined to carry out. Sentry duty was traditionally the proving grounds for the Guard; a job well done and he was one step closer to their elite ranks. Granted, that eventuality was a long reach, the section of wood given to him was the quietest of the perimeter, hardly a sign of imminent promotion. Sighing, he shifted his weight onto his other foot, his eyes roving the darkness.

The torch at his back only illuminated the first twenty feet of ruined buildings and foliage in front of him, the same trees and walls that he had memorized two hours ago. Peripherally he was aware of the other sentry torches blazing to his right and left. The area closest to the Torchwood settlement had been cleared the best their rudimentary tools could accomplish, buildings had been razed and trees felled. Henry's sentry line was their last warning of crazy attack, an unbroken line of blazing torches and keen eyes against the dark and its dangers. Farther out there were roving sentries, covering larger portions of territory, they were Torchwood's real warning system. The circle of sentries was only a formality to make the few hundred inhabitants of Torchwood feel more secure.

Clay transferred his weight again trying to keep cold extremities from stiffening and his eyes open. He could swear that he saw something moving in the woods, but he heard nothing. Straining his eyes he tried to pierce the dark, but a rising fog limited visibility; after a moment he gave up, he saw nothing. Henry pulled his coat tighter about himself; the chill damp was clawing at his bones. Only one more hour, then he could find relief at the warm fireside. Whatever he thought he saw was probably only the result of a tired and cold brain, if he wanted to join the guard he better stop being so jumpy. But really, the guard was a along way off in his future, and right now he was on sentry duty. Who would it hurt if he dozed a little? He would feel so much better, even with only a few minutes of sleep. It wasn't as if Torchwood was in any danger with the outer sentries guarding her…

Henry found his eyelids drifting closed; with a start he forced them open again. He had never before felt this tired on duty, it was as if something were slowly sucking the energy out from him, as if some other voice were encouraging him to close his eyes and sleep…

From behind a near wall the diminutive form of Julius Barker chuckled, really this was too easy. In his palm he held the orb he had showed Jack, currently is marbled surface shone a dark blue. Barker stared at the orb, brow furrowed in concentration, just one more push…and the figure across the clearing tumbled to the ground, asleep. He could have taken the sentry's mind completely under his control, but that would have taken too much effort. It was much easier to use the lowest power setting to gently convince the man to fall asleep. The orb was an amazing device, but it did have its limits. Julius had to maintain control of each individual mind the device tapped with his own and with almost a hundred crazies under his control right now, he was feeling a bit stretched. Insane minds were easier than sane minds to control, meaning he did have a far larger force available to him in this world than the previous one. Minds that he controlled completely were never entirely their own again, they would always be to some extent under his power, but that initially mastery was exhausting for both parties. He could have taken full control of the sentry…but it was far easier merely to suggest.

Stowing the orb in a pocket he turned to the other, more precious, piece of technology that rested in his lap. It sat inert, despite all his efforts to the contrary. He glanced at his wrist device, the indicator for a power source danced teasingly on the edge of the screen. Not long now before he achieved his final goal, revenge would be sweet.

Barker emerged from his hiding place and extended that action to the drooling, quivering group of animals behind him. One by one the gaunt, dirt encrusted forms separated from the darkness, coming to stand behind him. Feral eyes glinted in the torch light as their ranks swelled. Julius, with a grin that made those behind him look sane, turned his eyes to the glittering lights of Torchwood.

OOOOOOOO

Rose awoke with a start to see Jack's smiling face above her, his hand covering her mouth preventing her from making noise. Faster than thought Rose, still rising from the depths of sleep, found she had a knife at his throat, no _in _his throat. Old habits died hard. He fell back, clawing at the knife, and then died.

As she shucked the last strands of sleep, she felt her heart grow cold, anyone else and that mistake would be permanent. She thought that she had been slowly relaxing her battle harden reflexes, but the return to her earth, the constant dark, and the constant strain of the connection with the pyramid were slowly pushing her back to her old ways. This is what she had been afraid of; she was dangerous to those around her. Though even little Ella knew better than to wake her with a hand over her mouth, Jack had been pushing his luck with that act.

She sprang from her bed roll; everyone was still asleep, oblivious to the commotion, except for Jack of course, who was dead. Rose knelt by his side, carefully pulling her knife from his neck with a wet squelching noise, as she did the wound closed, leaving nothing but the blood staining his shirt and the ground beneath him. Light returned to his eyes and he took a shuddering breath. Slowly, the pain faded from his face and his eyes alighted on Rose. Weakly he chuckled, "Next time you want to use me for target practice, let me know beforehand."

Rose nodded, helping him sit up. As Jack had described it to her one night when she had asked, each death brought him a little closer to the edge of insanity, the human brain wasn't supposed to be exposed to the beyond and then come back. For a moment, she sat there, calming her frenzied heart. No matter how much time she spent with the Doctor, some part of the darkness would always dwell within her. The part that still had her sleep with a knife, and the part that hadn't hesitated to plunge the same knife into the neck of a friend, that would always exist. She had been fooling herself the last week, thinking that it had been gone for good. She glanced over at the sleeping Doctor, could she really comfortably lie beside him with the knowledge that she could kill him if awakened wrong? She mentally shook herself; the Doctor was hardly an idiot. He had seen what she could do back on the TARDIS when she had held the knife to his own neck. He knew that she was capable of violence, and yet he had slept beside her these last few nights, he trusted her with his life. He trusted her, she should trust herself. Steadying herself, she turned to Jack, "Jack, I'm so sorry. I…" Her voice stumbled to a halt, how did you apologize to someone for killing them?

"Can it, you sound like the Doctor. I'll live," he grinned at his own joke, but Rose could see what it cost him.

"Jack…I know how much it takes out of you, regardless of what you say."

"I'm serious. I've lost track of how many times I've died, one more really doesn't make a difference, even if it is before breakfast." This time she couldn't see any trace of pain behind his smile, but she knew it was only because he hid it well.

Rose took the hint and dropped the subject, "Why did you wake me up?" It was obvious he had waked her for a purpose; the rest of the group still lay asleep.

"Thought I heard someone, but I think our little escapade just scared them off," Jack said, eyes roving the tall grass around the small camp. His body language was at odds with his statement, telling Rose that he still thought something was out there, regardless of what he had just said. It was plain he didn't want to scare them off.

"Where?" she mouthed, bowing her head to hide the breathed communication from their watcher. She tensed her own muscles, clenching the knife in her fist in preparation for motion. Jack jerked his head to the left and Rose subtly shifted to match his direction. No one would get away with watching their camp, not with the Doctor and Ella sleeping so peacefully only feet away from her. Without warning she sprang up, dashing into the thick grass and shrubs. She spotted the crouching figure ten feet out of the ring of firelight, the whites of his eyes gleaming with reflected light. The figure had no time to move, Rose was there, knife to his neck. The man grunted and fought to throw Rose to the ground, but her grip on his neck was too strong, and he fell limp in her grasp, feeling the cool metal on his jugular.

"Who are you? What do you want with us?" Rose demanded, loosening her grip so the man could breathe.

"Please, I'm from Torchwood - a sentry. I saw the light of the fire and came to investigate," his words were rough, filled with pleading. He relaxed in her grip to show his peaceful intentions. "I thought you were crazies. Honest."

Jack made it to her side, having stolen the torch from where it rested beside Jones. In the feeble light it provided, Rose could see the iconic 'T' badge on his chest, the badge of Torchwood. He was telling the truth. Sighing with relief, she let the man go; fighting crazies was the last thing she wanted to do right now. By the expression on the sentry's face, it was clear he felt the same way.

"Who is he?" Jack asked, eyeing the young man distrustfully.

"A sentry from Torchwood. Apparently they're patrolling farther out then Jones or I remember," she answered, taking the torch from Jack to shine more closely at the sentry.

As the light caught in the lines of her face, the sentry gasped. "Lupus? Are you really Lupus?"

"Yes," Rose said, her tone soft, "I'm Lupus."

Jack could see each one of her years in her eyes; they spilled out into the lines of her face as the merry girl of the cave was swept away by decades of experience. Lupus was the name that called the soul of ice out in Rose, but now it was tempered by her windowed eyes, before they had been blank, now they shone with the golden light that was housed behind them. No matter how much sorrow was exposed, they still shone. That was the Doctor's mark on her.

"Rose! Are you alright? What's going on?" the Doctor's cry broke Rose's locked gaze, causing her to whirl about to catch sight of him. She quickly stood and walked back into the uncertain perimeter of light. Jack grabbed their watcher roughly by the back of the neck and dragged him along after.

The Doctor breathed a visible sigh of relief as he saw Rose unhurt, settling back down onto his great coat. Rose sat beside him, entwining her fingers into his and resting their clasped hands on her lap. With a small smile she leaned against him, taking comfort from his warmth. Since waking moments before, she had had little time to contemplate her actions. Now sitting by the Doctor, her heart still racing, she realized how close she had been to loosing control; first Jack, then the sentry had been inches from death by her hand. The trust the Doctor had in her was really the only thing that kept her by his side. She was a dangerous individual, deserving of solitude.

Jack tossed the sentry by the fire, finally rousing Jones from his slumber as the sentry scrambled for balance. As it was, his hand landed on the hot stones rimming the flames, extracting a hiss of pain from him. Jones bolted up right, blinking bleary eyes as he took in the situation. He swore softly as he looked over the new member of their party. "Dammit, you should've woken me up. Don't normally sleep through stuff like that, I must be loosin' my touch."

Jack, Rose, and the Doctor ignored him, their attention focused on the young man who was gazing at his burned palm regretfully. He glanced up and colored at their scrutiny. "I'm William, by the way."

"What were you doing watching our camp William?" Jack prompted, standing over him with his arms crossed.

"Will," he mumbled shamefully, "Everybody calls me Will. And I wasn't watching your camp. I thought you were a bunch of crazies. Wanted to make sure before I reported you back to Torchwood. That was before I knew Lupus was with you. Now I gotta get back and let them know you're here Lupus." He looked up, eyes blazing with adoration, "There gonna be so excited to hear that your back, specially with the Tenes making it darker all the sudden."

"No," Rose said firmly, smile dropping from her face.

"What do you mean 'no'? Aren't you coming to help Torchwood? The 'defender of the light' and all that stuff," Will asked, confused. He glanced at the somber faces surrounding him, his eager excitement joining Rose's smile on the ground.

"What Rose means is that we're here for an entirely different reason," the Doctor interjected. "I'm the Doctor. You already know Rose. The two men to your left are Captain Jack Harkness and Harriet Jones."

"But, Torchwood always said–" Will started.

Rose cut him off, "-Things have changed. That's all I'm going to say until we get to Torchwood."

"We headed out then?" Jack asked as an awkward silence fell.

"Don't see why not. We're all awake now," the Doctor offered, gesturing with his free hand at the small group, "The sooner the better I say, best not let Barker get a head start on us. Will here can lead us."

Will made as if to speak but fell into silence at the look their faces. He mumbled his assent and seemingly collapsed in on himself, drawing his knees up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them. The flow of the camp moved around him as they packed up their meager belongings. Jack and Jones did most of the packing as Rose and the Doctor sat together on his greatcoat.

She was lost inside her own emotions, the never long forgotten input of the pyramid unbalancing any control she might have had. The only source of strength she could rely on at the moment was the Doctor, and she couldn't even tell him about the pyramid. A parasitic will not her own made it difficult to hold coherent thoughts about the pyramid for long. Her mind skittered off on random tangents when she made any attempt to talk about it. She could feel the pyramid, she always could; it rode proudly in Barker's cradling hands as he stalked towards Torchwood. A malevolent being, always hungry, it sensed the power source nearby and thrummed with excitement. The twisted excitement made Rose sick and she suppressed a shudder. The Doctor felt it and glanced down at her, concern in his eyes. "Rose? What's wrong?"

Her tongue felt thick, clumsy as she tried to spit out the sensations provoked by the pyramid, but her traitor mouth mumbled, "Lupus. Whenever I hear it, it makes me think of the promises I had to break." If only the Doctor could actually hear her voice screaming inside, but he couldn't, no one could, the pyramid was far too good at protecting itself.

He squeezed the hand still enmeshed in his own comfortingly, "This was never going to be easy; we knew that from the start. But just think, Rose, you can save both humanity and the Tenebres at the same time. Torchwood might not understand that, but Torchwood's charter doesn't encourage understanding of alien races." He repressed a small shudder of his own.

She nodded carefully, her heart at uneasy for an entirely different reason. She could think of no way to convey her true concerns, but regardless, the Doctor had enough of his own without her adding to the burden. Barker and the Tenebres was more than enough, the pyramid could wait; it wasn't actively hurting anything. She wasn't even sure why it was connected to her. Its mysteries could wait until the sun shone in the sky again and her world was free of Barker.

Jack coughed pointedly at them, with the sleeping Ella cradled in arms it was obvious they were prepared to go. Jones had shouldered their pack, holding the torch; and an awkward looking Will at his side shuffled his feet.

Rose scrambled to her feet, helping the still sore Doctor up after her. He leaned heavily on her support; lanky frame slouched over to protect his tender abdomen. She cast him a worried look, she was right to think he had his own concerns, even beyond Barker; he was fighting his own body to rescue humanity once again.

They headed out, a meandering line through the grass, following Will's lead. As they traveled the ruined shells of buildings and cars became more frequent. Eventually their feet pounded against cracked pavement in a chaotic staccato and the trees had all but faded into low shrubs and grasses. Will began to glance around nervously, as if looking for something that wasn't there. Suddenly he stopped, causing Jack, still carrying Ella, to run into him.

"Something's wrong," he whispered, a note of fear in his voice.

"What do you mean boy? Looks alright to me," Jones muttered, despite his doubt he still spoke softly.

"We should've run into the permanent sentries by now, but we haven't," Will answered, crouching to examine the pavement under their feet. "My friend Henry's post should be right here, but the fire has gone out."

Casting her eyes downward, Rose could see the scattered remnants of ashes and half-burned logs that had been ground to powder underneath scores of feet. Some large group had been this way, no doubt led by Julius Barker. Just as the pyramid had shown her, he had made it to Torchwood first.

"Then I guess Barker beat us to Torchwood," the Doctor commented tiredly, "This should be interesting."

_F/N: The Doctor couldn't be more right (I hope). Love to hear from you, even if it is only greeting to the hairballs under my bed (which are actually feeling kinda lonely :D). _


	19. Chapter 19

_A/N: Thank you thank you thank you. It seems as if Lupus isn't entirely forgotten after all, I received several really lovely reviews. Thank you again for being so faithful to this piece. So to reward you guys this is an extra long chapter, pretty much two long chapters in one update. I broke them in two just because, well, it was sooo long. Just to warn you guys, there is some slightly harsher language in this section. If you squint, you can read right over it. I hope I don't offend. Editing in this double chapter is a little sketchy since it is so long, and I'ts late at the moment, so if you find any particularly glaring grammatical or syntax errors, please do let me know. Also, this might be the last update for a little while (I am _not_ going to let it fall back into unfinished fic land) but AP exams are literally next week so I need to shift my attention to them, and then after that I have my surgery, so unless it turns out that I can write well on pain meds, I won't be writing a lot. I hope this update tides you over for a few weeks. My sincerest apologies for the upcoming delay. As always, would love to hear from you. Enjoy!_

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who, I really don't, no matter what the dustbunnies might say! 

Chapter Nineteen:

The chamber glowed with a cold inhuman light, silhouetting the struggling forms as they grappled over the small object between them. It was a green void against the corona of radiance of the power source. The pyramid suddenly pulsed, reversing to a spot of sudden green light, it had absorbed enough. A wall of invisible energy bulged outward, knocking the two men to the ground, leaving the glowing object hovering in the air over them.

Rose, from her position on the edge of the cavernous room, felt her heart beat its way up her throat, choking off her scream. The Doctor fell slowly, almost defying gravity. As the muffled thump of his body hitting the floor in time with Barker reached her ears, time sped up again. The Doctor's head lolled to the side, blank eyes staring at Rose. As the wall of energy reached her, the sight of the prone Doctor filled her vision and she passed over the border into pain filled darkness.

OOOOOOOO

A wordless cry echoed through Jack's head, pushing relentlessly against his consciousness. The concepts that filled it were beyond human comprehension but the agony was clear. The Tenebres were screaming.

Dropping to his knees, he cradled his head. There was no stop to their pain, wave after wave of it. Even his parade of deaths was nothing compared to this. Through the tears that coursed down his cheeks he saw the night sky pulse once, before an unholy void formed over Canary Wharf, darker than the ebony body of the Tenebres. His eyes couldn't understand it, assigning dimension to an object that defied the laws of the universe. The Tenebres tried to escape, but it devoured them. The pyramid was hungry, and it would feed on the Tenebres and humanity before it turned to the rest of the universe.

OOOOOOOO

_1 Hour Earlier_

"Barker? Who's he?" Will looked up from his examination of the pavement.

"Julius Barker, the man we've come to stop," Rose said grimly, twisting her lips into a frown. "He's leading a force of crazies to get to the power source inside Canary Wharf."

Will blanched, clutching at the ground for support. "Crazies…in Torchwood? Shit, I gotta go warn the Council!"

"How far are we from Torchwood?" Jack broke into the conversation, fingering his vortex manipulator. "I'm seeing a big power source not far from here. I assume that's where we're headed."

"That's the Core, they use it to run the screen and some other alien tech, keep an eye on the Tenes and all that," Will supplied. "But to answer your question we aren't more than fifteen minutes from the Tower."

"The Core? Alien technology right?" the Doctor asked running an absent-minded hand through his hair, messing it further. Inwardly, Rose smiled, distracted from her thoughts at the sight, it never laid flat in all the time she had known him; it was if an alien perched on top of his head with a mind of its own. Will started to answer but the Doctor talked over him, "I wonder if it's an Illarian core, I know a ship of theirs crashed on Earth during the Ice Age, but that was another Earth, so who knows if the same thing holds true. It always could be a Sont – No, that wouldn't make sense, there was no mention of them last time we were here–"

"Doctor," Rose said quietly, she didn't really want to stop him; she loved the beatific look on his face when he started on one of his rants. He said humanity had boundless curiosity, but in truth they couldn't match his own.

"-I suppose it might be Tygran, they were sneaky race when it came to power sources…," he faded off into a chagrined silence at the amused look on Rose's face. "What?"

"You'll get a chance to look at it later, I'm sure. Right now we need to focus on Barker, the pyr–," her voice choked off, the pyramid's parasitic will silencing her, swallowing she continued, "and the Tenebres."

"It is alien, not sure what race though," Will chimed in. "We gotta get going though, if this Barker person is heading for the Tower, I have to warn the others. Gah, the Council's going to skin me alive for this. That is, if I have any skin left after dealing with the crazies."

From his silent ring of light, Jones spoke up, "Go on ahead, boy, I can lead this group to the Tower. I remember that much."

"You're sure?" Will asked, looking relieved.

"Yeah, I'm an old man but my memory's still good."

Jack snorted, remembering the hour he had spent lost by Jones' side looking for Rose and the Doctor, but he held his tongue. The young sentry looked around at them once, gracing them with an apologetic expression, before dashing off into the dark. His running footsteps faded into the still night, and all trace of his passage was gone.

Jones took up the lead, waving the dying torch back and forth to illuminate their path. Broken cars leapt up out of the shadows, seeming each time like crazies or something worse. Rose kept expecting attack at every turn, her hand sliding closer and closer to her knife sheathed at her belt.

The Doctor noticed her hand's path but said nothing; the only sign was a slight thinning of his lips. He disapproved of her penchant for violence, but understood its root. This was a new Rose, one that he still loved, but had to learn anew. The bright core was still there, but it hid under a layer of accumulated experience; it was those experiences that forced her to carry a knife.

Rose stopped, grabbing Jack's shoulder before he could move past her. In his arms, Ella stirred, curling closer to Jack. The last few days had exhausted her, even traveling across the rough country hadn't woken her. Rose glanced up at Jack, he nodded, and Rose slid her arms under his and took Ella from him, cradling her gently. She pressed a kiss on Ella's forehead, and the girl opened her eyes, blinking a few times before she focused on Rose. "Lupus?" she mumbled sleepily.

"Ella, I'm sorry to wake you up, but I have to go with the Doctor and Jack to stop the bad man Barker and help the Tenebres," Rose told her softly, "I wanted to say goodbye to you."

"You promised Lupus, forever," Ella said, tears forming in her eyes. "Don't leave me."

"I'm not, I just have to go do something, I'll be back before you know it," Rose reassured her, hugging her close. "I promise you." In her heart, Rose could hear the falsity of those words; she had said the same to Rick and Marie before she had left the last time and she had never gotten to see them again. They had been ripped away from her, just as countless companions had been in the past. They lived in a dangerous world, offering Ella the scant comfort of that promise was all Rose could do for her.

"The Doctor and Jack…," Jones mused, "You're leavin' her with me?"

Rose nodded, glaring at Jones, she hated to do this. Broken from her prison of ice and finally feeling again, she found Ella's loss unacceptable. So far the man had seemed trustworthy, but Rose couldn't help thinking that she was taking a huge gamble. "I'm leaving her in your care. Protect her with your life. I swear, if anything bad happens to her, I will hunt you to the ends of this shattered world and kill you Harriet Jones."

The Doctor and Jack looked at her sideways, eyes widening slightly in response to her harsh words, but she didn't care. She wasn't the same Rose, and if threatening Jones meant Ella would be safe, she would do it without a second thought.

Jones assumed an uncharacteristic somber expression. "I won't let it happen again, the crazies won't take another child from me. You have my word on that, girl." After a moment, he pulled a grimy piece of paper from a hidden pocket in his shirt, unfolding it to show Rose. The smiling face of a young boy, captured in charcoal gazed back at her. "Mathew was my son in all but name before the crazies got him…," his voice choked off with unexpressed emotion, he swallowed and continued in a rougher voice, "I know the pain of losin' a child."

Rose watched his face as he seemed lost in the drawing. She knew the emotions behind that expression; the anger, the pain, and ultimately, the helplessness. Eventually, you just had to stop feeling it, or else it became too much. Especially a child, you were their entire world, and she and Jones had let that world come to violent end in their own ways. Rose glanced down at Ella; she would be safe with Jones, as safe as anyone could be in this twisted world. Rose knew Jones would give his life before he let anything happen to her.

"Ella, Jones is going to look after you while I'm gone," Rose set the girl down on her feet, holding her hand as she led her towards Jones. He quickly put away the picture and held out a large calloused hand for her to take.

Ella wrinkled her nose as she approached. "But Lupus, Jones is stinky!"

Jones chuckled, wiping the earlier pain from his face, "You're hardly a spring flower yourself, Ella. Maybe if we can find a stream, we both can take a bath."

Seemingly mollified, Ella grabbed Jones' hand, holding it like an anchor in a dark sea. Rose knelt before the girl and wrapped her in a tight hug. "Be good while I'm gone, Ella. Soon, you'll get to see the sun, I promise you."

"I d-don't want the s-sun, I j-j-just want you," she said, sobbing into Rose's jacket. Rose continued the embrace for a little while longer before tearing herself away, a silent tear tracking down her own face. She hated to leave Ella behind, but where they were headed was too dangerous for a little girl. It was also too dangerous for Jones. Who knew if they failed and Julius got to use the pyramid, what the Tenebres would do. Rose, the Doctor, and Jack were the only ones who had protection against the eventuality that the Tenebres decided to lash out in their pain. She also needed their support, what she was about to do, face down the Tenebres, was going to be the hardest things she'd ever done in her life. Harder even than defeating the Daleks, then she had had the heart of the TARDIS to back her up, now she was alone. _Idiot_. Not alone, she had the Doctor. She _had_ been alone; her heart needed a constant reminder that wasn't the case anymore, he was actually here, living, breathing by her side.

Turning back to her living breathing reminder, she wiped away the solitary tear. "Ready?"

The Doctor and Jack nodded, and began walking. She glanced back once to see the forlorn figures of Jones and Ella, before flipping on her own torch and following the two men. Jack's vortex manipulator would provide the way, the Doctor would talk to the aliens that blackened the sky, and Rose herself would fulfill the promise to mend a broken world for Ella. That was all she could hope for in the end.

OOOOOOOO

Torchwood was a small gathering of buildings right out of the Dark Ages; what once had been office and apartment buildings, crumbling with over a century of neglect, now served as the basis for their haphazard huts. It was an almost comical contrast between the modern and the primitive. Torches burned where streetlamps had once illuminated the streets. The forest that had taken over the rest of the city had been pushed back, the streets cleaned of the refuse of a lost civilization. Doors, once standing empty, now were filled with carefully crafted replacements with wood pulled from the nearest convenient supplies. It had resulted in doors that had clearly once been benches or pieces of furniture. Widows, lacking the glass to replace them, had been boarded up, or stood gazing like empty eyes onto the street. In places buildings had collapsed entirely, there the rubble had been left where it was; Torchwood lacked the man power to do anything but survive.

Rose could see straight down the street to the ruined Canary Wharf. The tower, struck by the Tenebres, squatted in the middle of the settlement like a wounded monster. The skeleton of the building was all that remained, a twisted mass of metal girders illuminated by an enormous transparent image floating over the top of the truncated tower. The screen was visible from their vantage point on the edge of the settlement. It wavered and flickered halfheartedly, showing images of the almost forgotten world of light and technology. They stood there, watching the slide show of images as it progressed from the London they remembered to the present day. Halfway through the cycle a shaky video feed showed the darkness spreading across the sky, devouring the clouds and the filtered sunlight. The video then dropped to reveal the building before them, Canary Wharf, as it shattered outward under an assault from a dark beam. After a dizzying storm of dust and shaky camera movements, the image paused on a golden figure watching the building collapse. It was Rose, blood stained and weary, she turned briefly to the camera, looking past it, not seeing it, before collapsing as the blowout from the building reached her. Seconds later the video went black, and the cycle continued with more pictures of the shattered world.

The Doctor pulled out his glasses, sliding them up onto his nose as he gazed intently at the screen. After a moment he turned to Rose. "That's an interesting combination of technology, ingenious even. The screen's alien, but the system they're using to operate it…," he hesitated for a moment, trying to remember the name he was looking for, almost a thousand years of experience with technology didn't help the matter; "is that _powerpoint_?"

Rose started to laugh, a sound full of unexpected merriment. The empty windows nearby glared at her reproachfully for interrupting their silence. In the tension of the moment, trust the Doctor to point something out like that. The Doctor gave her a sly smile, "Just like the old days, isn't it Rose? An impossible problem and we only have our brains and curiosity to fix it."

"Not quite like the old days," she grinned back.

"What's missing?" His expression sobered a bit, quirking an eyebrow over the rim of his glasses in puzzlement.

"Not missing, added," corrected Rose, "and it's this." She punctuated the statement by closing the distance between them and wrapping her arms around the Time Lord. Stretching up, she planted a firm kiss on his lips, muffling his surprised exclamation. His other eyebrow shot up as she pulled away, blushing faintly.

Jack swallowed a choked laugh, "Can I get a kiss as well? Or is it just for aliens?" Rose leaned back in the Doctor's embrace to shoot Jack a dirty look, all the answer he needed. "You always did steal the good looking ones, Rose."

The moment was ended by the sound of running feet, and a figure staggered out from between two buildings. Blood soaked and dirtied, it was barely recognizable as the young man that had left them only a few minutes before. Will made it to within arms reach of Jack before falling forward onto the ground. Jack barely caught him, lowering Will carefully to the pavement. The young sentry's eyes focused briefly on Jack hovering over him, before closing in relief. He panted raggedly, trying to speak between breaths. "I was…too late. Barker was already there."

"What happened?" Rose asked, trying to keep her voice calm as she kneeled by the wounded man.

"Crazies killed everyone in the building. They locked him out of the core before-," he closed his eyes and look of abject terror surfaced, "-before the crazies…" His voice faded to nothing, "…oh god, it was horrible – blood everywhere. He…he was laughing as the crazies killed them." He began to sob, a heart-wrenching sound. "I didn't sign up for this. I'm j-just a s-scout."

"How long before he gets access to the core?" the Doctor asked gently, "Will, I need you to focus. This is important."

"A f-few minutes…," Will managed to force out, his eyes had remained closed and his breathing was shallower. Rose could see that the most of the blood was his, the young man, unless fate intervened, would not be long in this world. Another loss to Barker, the man was carving a bloody path through her already fragile world. Rose felt a sudden surge of anger, emotions that once had been directed at the Tenebres shifted to focus on Barker. She still couldn't completely reconcile with what the Tenebres had done, but Barker had replaced them in her line of sight, her anger towards the black mass was tempered by pity. Her hatred of Barker had no such restraint; he was destroying what the citizens of Torchwood had worked so hard to create, and apparently enjoying it.

Jack stared down at the man in his arms, watching as the rise of Will's chest slowed. He frowned, they only had a few moments in which to act, but the young man was in no position to move. Jack couldn't leave him to face the oblivion of death alone. Having faced it himself, he knew how horrible it was. "Doctor–," Jack began, but the Doctor shook his head deliberately, stopping him.

"I'm sorry, Jack, but we need you with us."

"I'm not going to leave this man alone, not while he's dying!" Jack protested. "I'll catch up with you; I won't be long."

"We'll meet you inside," the Doctor sighed, suddenly feeling tired. He hated what Barker was forcing him to do, compromising his ideals for the greater good. Apes or not, no one deserved to die alone, but at the same time Barker had to be stopped. "You're a good man Jack."

Jack gave him a wry smile, "If you really believe that, how about you drop the woman and come over here and give me a kiss?"

Rose stood, blocking the line of sight between them. She graced Jack with a fierce glare. "My Doctor, not your Doctor. Got it?"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," he waved a lazy hand, stained with Will's blood, in the direction of Torchwood, "go stop Barker and then we'll talk."

The smiles faded on the three faces as the reality of Barker crashed back down around them. It was time that he was stopped, before he destroyed the Tenebres and himself, taking humanity along with him.

_F/N: There is another section to this chapter, I know it's hard, but hit the next button :D. _


	20. Chapter 20

_A/N: This is a double update, so if you haven't gone back and read the first part, go do that. Otherwise, for those of you who have read chapter 19, enjoy!_

Disclaimer: Don't own it, simple as that

Chapter Twenty (aka Chapter Nineteen II)

The streets closer to Canary Wharf were deserted except for the corpses. Buildings, having long lost their original colors, became a gaudy red, painted with blood. The force of crazies on Barker's command had spared no one. Rose stifled a small sob as she stepped over the broken body of a young child. It was a scene of carnage.

Both the Doctor and Rose's faces were pale, they were careful not to look too closely at anything. If they did, they would have to stop and let the tide of emotions overwhelm them. Anger, sorrow, pain, guilt, all consumed Rose's heart, she had failed protect her world. The worst part of it all was that she could feel Barker's glee through her connection with the pyramid, hear his insane laughter. The connection she shared with the infernal device was impossible to wall off. The pyramid was center and foremost in her mind, so strong that it threatened to overwhelm her sense of self. She was becoming aware of an alien intelligence to the device; she suspected that it had arranged to end up in Julius's hands as part of a twisted plan. It was hungry, and Barker would feed that hunger. They were a perfect pair.

Canary Wharf loomed above them, a mass of misshapen rubble. The screen, huge this close, cast an eerie light over the scene. It felt as if they were entering a ghost land, nothing stirred. They had to circle the base of the tower almost half way round until they found the shored-up entrance, a tunnel stretching into darkness. Rose glanced at the Doctor, "Where is everybody?" But she already knew the answer even before she asked.

"Dead or inside Canary Wharf I would think. Barker doesn't expect any resistance," the Time Lord said sadly. His ancient eyes caught Rose's and he could see barely restrained tears there. She felt each and every death a hundred times; this was the loss of her world over again, the one she had promised to protect. Her expression reminded the Doctor of the one he wore when Gallifrey burned. He knew she couldn't let herself cry, because that would only make the loss unbearable.

She smiled weakly at him, "So what's the plan?"

"We go in and get near Barker; then I disable his control over the crazies. After that, he's just a man. We take the pyramid and get it away from the Core." The Doctor slid his hand into the pocket of his greatcoat, pulling out the sonic screwdriver; he fiddled with it for a moment.

Rose could see the thousand things that could go wrong. "Doctor, I thought Barker's control over his subordinates couldn't be disabled without killing them. That's what you told me back in at the base."

He shifted uncomfortably, "That's true."

"Then how?" Rose's look of confusion shifted into sudden comprehension, "You're going to kill them all."

"No," the Doctor stopped moving, meeting Rose's eyes squarely, "not kill them. They'll join the ranks of minds already lost to the darkness, becoming permanent vegetables. Their hearts will still beat, but their brain will be gone." He removed his glasses, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. "That's all I can do for them; they won't be in pain anymore and Julius won't be able to use them for his games."

Rose nodded, accepting his explanation. The crazies had ceased to people to her, as cruel as that sounded. She had to focus on the people who still had hope, the crazies were already lost. She had tried to reason with them in the beginning, but no words would get through their heads. Now was not the time to start to care about them again. For all intents and purposes, they were already dead; the Doctor just was ending their continued misery.

She started to walk but the Doctor grabbed her arm, halting her, a look of deep concentration on his face. "Rose, what percentage of the population are 'crazies'?"

"No idea, but if I had to guess I'd say close to ninety percent, but that was after the world population was decimated by the beams, and people stopped having large families, or families at all. Torchwood's latest scan of the planet indicated only a couple million left." Rose answered uncertainly, why did the Doctor want to know?

"That would put it at just the level I would expect for latent low-level telepathic abilities in the human race," the Doctor mused, seeing Rose's look of confusion he continued, "Humanity has some small telepathic potential. It's dormant in most humans, but sometimes it shows up in small ways; the sort of thing that lets a mother know if her child is in danger, or certain people's affinity for choosing winning numbers for lottery tickets. A handy talent, I've run into a few people who live quite comfortably like that…Anyway, the crazies insanity isn't because of the darkness, its because of this potential, if I'm right, which I usually am, the Tenebres, a telepathic race, have driven humanity mad by just their presence." He paused, raising an eyebrow, "That make any sense?"

"The Tenebres caused the crazies just by being here, because humans are all psychic," Rose summarized. In a way it did make sense. They had run into humans in their travels that were something more, Gwyneth who had sealed the rift in Cardiff being one. "So does that mean if the Tenebres leave, that they'll become sane again?" she asked with a sinking feeling, all those she had killed, could they have been saved?

"No," the Doctor said sadly, "some might regain their sanity, but they will be the lucky few. The Tenebres have been here so long that they have permanently imprinted on their psyches. Those born under the darkness will probably die in darkness as well."

Rose gritted her teeth, were they really doing the right thing helping the Tenebres? They had reduced humanity to almost nothing, even if it wasn't intentional. Did a race that had committed genocide deserved to be saved in turn? Rose didn't know; she had to walk forward blind, trusting the Doctor to lead her. She had to believe redemption was possible.

As if sensing the direction of her thoughts, he pulled her into a tight hug. "Rose, the minds absorbed by the Tenebres aren't dead. They've merely become something else. Your family is up there, together. By saving the Tenebres, we are protecting the mind of humanity that they've gathered. Can you think of it that way?"

She was protecting her mother, Pete, Roger, Micky, and all the others she had lost over the years. Rose swallowed and leaned against the Doctor, needing his strength. She could do this. "Yes."

Hand and hand they entered into the dark tunnel, moving deeper into the darkness under Canary Wharf.

OOOOOOOO

The force of the blow threw Rose away from the Doctor; she fell to her knees, clutching her throbbing head. The crazy in front of her snarled, moving closer her to strike her again, but the Doctor stepped in front, raising a placating hand.

They had made it only a dozen yards into the building before the crazies had found them, coming out of nowhere. There must have been at least a score of the insane group surrounding them. They all were adorned with the paint of battle, their feral eyes gleaming under the red.

Rose scrambled to her feet, and started to form the words to warn the Doctor of his danger, crazies could not be reasoned with, but he rode over her protest before they were voiced, "These men are under the control of Barker, they should obey him." He shifted his attention to the crazy in front of him, the one that had struck Rose. "Take me to Julius Barker," he said clearly and slowly.

The man blinked, a blank, far-away look coming to his eyes. For a moment he looked almost sane, if a bit confused. Crusty words formed on lips unused to speaking, "Doc-tor, companion, follow." The corner of his mouth twitched and the expression faded from his face, replaced by the slack mouth of insanity. Barker's presence was gone.

"Guess we got our answer," the Doctor said with forced cheer. Sweeping an arm before him gallantly, he said, "Ladies first." Danger always made him feel ten times more alive. He hated being in these types of situations, but he couldn't argue with the good it did his vascular system. Rose, on the other hand, looked far too pale, human hearts weren't made of the same stuff as Time Lords, or maybe the blow to her head had been harder than it seemed. He gave her a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder as she walked past him, earning a thankful glance.

"Bob," she said suddenly, her eyes boring a whole in the back of the crazy leading them.

"What? Do you know him?" he inquired gently, not wanting to shake painful memories loose.

"No, never met him before, but I'm going to call him Bob," Rose said with a vague smile, her gaze coming unfocused. It hurt to think, something had been knocked out of alignment in that blow, maybe her wits; she mused. She sank deep into her own mind, seeking the part out of place, but all she could find was hints of the pyramid everywhere. It even invaded her memories, a baleful presence glaring down at her. After they had traveled some moments in silence, she tugged on the Doctor's sleeve. "It hurts, the p-pyr-," she choked on her own tongue, unable to get the words out.

Despite the inhibitions on her voice, he understood her, frowning. He paused and placed his hands on either side of her head, he closed his eyes, concentrating. "The pyramid is still connected to you, Rose; you should have told me sooner. The closer we get, the stronger the connection is going to get. This isn't good, and to top it off it looks like you have a concussion."

"C-can't talk...," she forced out through clenched teeth, "…stops me."

"It was actively keeping you from telling me?" He looked at her with disbelief, she nodded in affirmation, and his face sank. "Oh Rose, I'm so sorry. I should've known."

"It's not your fault," Rose said, her body shaking with the effort of maintaining coherent thought. The pyramid was pushing insistently on her consciousness. All she wanted to do was retreat to a corner of her brain and forget everything. "Besides, it's not all that b-Ah!," she bent over, cradling her head. The pyramid was suddenly throbbing, sending waves of agony through her mind. It crushed her defenses, rendering her an observer in her own body. The dark energy of the pyramid coursed through her, coupling with the remnants of the time vortex in her body. Gold shot across her vision, reducing her world to the Doctor's panicked eyes.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his voice riding up several notes in alarm, "Rose, answer me!"

"Barker…the pyramid…he's breached the c-core room…oh G-God, it hurts," Rose gasped through the pain.

"Rose, listen to me, it's using you as a conduit to channel its energy, what's left of the time vortex in you should protect you for a little while, but I need you to hold in there until we get to Barker. Do you understand?" He grabbed her by the shoulders, grip firm and insistent.

She felt herself nod, then move, propelled along in the Doctor's arms. He was breathing heavily, no doubt her weight was more than his battered body could handle. Time seemed to move sluggishly, each step in front of the other took the age of the universe. Her mind was with the pyramid, stretching out towards the night, alien intelligence searching for something to devour. It had yet to find the Tenebres, but its questing tendrils weren't far from the blaze of their being. It was only a matter of time. The hunger was overwhelming her sense of self; she could no longer distinguish between her aching body and its painful starvation. The pyramid could eat the entire universe and still its appetite would remain unsatisfied.

She was peripherally aware that they had entered a cavernous room, stretching the width of the shattered building, deep under the foundations. A blue light washed over her half-lidded eyes, catching in the Doctor's hair. Its source was an elaborate column, carved with swirling designs that emitted the glow. Cables were haphazardly attached at regular intervals and ran, like snakes, to the outer edges of the room and into darkness. Beside the core stood Julius Barker, playfully juggling the pyramid back and forth between his hands. It also glowed, a sickly green corona that tainted Barker's fingers with corruption. It was apparent that in proximity to the core, it was absorbing the energy it needed to expand its maw and devour the Tenebres.

"Why Doctor, I'm so happy you came," Barker said happily, "And you brought your companion, the pretty blonde one. Good, it'll save me the trouble of having to hunt her down later. Since you're all here, I think we can start."

The Doctor ground his teeth together, swallowing the words that he was yearning to spit into Barker's face. The desire for violence was as far removed from the Doctor as was possible for a physical being, but he felt the anger boil in his veins. Barker treated his destruction of Torchwood as a game, tossing human lives away like they had no more value than playing cards. His personal vendetta against the man threatened to cloud his judgment. He reminded himself that they were still in Barker's power; to anger the deranged man wouldn't accomplish their goal. Instead he said calmly, "It's already started, Julius. The pyramid is starting to absorb the core's power."

"Good, good, I was wondering how I'd hook it up to this infernal device," Barker snatched the pyramid out of the air and held it up in front of his face, examining it closely, "Though if you're telling the truth, why isn't it doing anything?"

Rose felt herself break out into a cold sweat, she could feel Barker touching her body…No, the pyramid. He was touching the pyramid but she experienced it as if it were her own flesh. A wave of agony passed over her and when her mind cleared she looked up to see Barker staring at her quizzically. She spat, clearing her mouth of sour bile, "It's hungry and it's looking for something to eat."

"Excellent!" he exclaimed, mousy face breaking into an inhumanly wide grin. Rose shuddered, the man was worse than any crazy. He knew exactly what he was doing and he enjoyed the pain it caused others.

"Barker, listen to me. What you are doing is-," the Doctor was cut off by a snort from Julius.

"How stupid do you think I am? I know what I'm doing wrong, depraved, and a whole world of bad. If I was on any civilized planet, they'd lock me up in an asylum," he said calmly, then his expression broke into a wry smile, he spun his finger around his temple in the universal sign for 'crazy', "But that's the fun of it all. No rules, no expectations, I can do whatever I want, when I want."

"Then stop the pyramid, don't let it devour the Tenebres," the Doctor pleaded. Barker was insane, the dangerous type that knew exactly what their insanity was and relished in it. Deep down, the Doctor knew there was no reasoning with Barker. "Please, they rest of humanity is up there with them. If you let the pyramid continue to absorb energy from the core, it will destroy them as well."

"Nope," Barker chuckled, "I'm not going to. Honestly, I don't give a rat's ass what this thing eats." He stretched, tossing the pyramid up once more and catching it. "The Overmind ends up just as annoying as the Tenebres in the end, always controlling their 'lesser physical cousins'." He glanced over at the Doctor, raising an eyebrow at the apparent confusion on their faces, "Oh right, guess I never did let you in on that little secret. I'm native blood round here, a little displaced in time maybe, but I'm Earth born and bread."

"You are from the future of this planet?" the Doctor asked, in all the encounters he had had with Barker, never once had he suspected the man's origins. Was that why he was so fascinated with the Tenebres? It would certainly make sense if he came from this planet's future, one that had been created by the Tenebres specifically.

"Yup," Barker affirmed, popping his 'p' like the Doctor did, "a few thousand years out. In a society that knows nothing of the Tenebres thanks to the Overmind – the conglomeration of minds that the Tenebres amassed broke free eventually and chased the Tenebres off. Of course, the Overmind decided after that no one should know about their creation, for fear that we would use it somehow to unseat them as the uncontested rulers of humanity. Really, life isn't very fun under them, that's why I ran off to your universe. I happened to be in the right place at the right time, and I found Time Lord records on the Tenebres, a splinter member of your race apparently was doing research on them. I decided I'd use the result of his research to destroy the Tenebres," he held up the pyramid, "this, and keep the Overmind from ever having been created."

Rose muffled a cry of pain as the pyramid pulsed. The Doctor paled and turned to her. Through her tears she could see him shaking with repressed emotion. "Rose, I'm so sorry, I was the one that did that to you."

"Doctor!" Rose protested through gritted teeth, "It wasn't you that created the damn thing, so don't apologize."

"No, but I'm the one that is responsible for the connection," the Doctor bowed his head, clenching his fists at his sides, "Do you remember when I communicated with the Tenebres and I used you as an anchor? The connection was forged then. I exposed you to the device by opening your mind; it sensed your desire to destroy the Tenebres and used the left over energy in your body to activate. Now it won't let you go, you're its conduit to reach out and devour the Tenebres. It's going to kill you, and it's going to be my fault. Oh Rassilon, Rose, I'm so sorry. Can you ever forgive me?"

Rose gave him a small smile, feeling the world retreat from her, as if she was moving farther down a long tunnel. She loved the Doctor, no matter what happened, if she was by his side in the end, she would by happy. "There's nothing to forgive. It's not your fault that…," her grip on the world faded further, taking with it her ability for speech. Her knees buckled and agony tore open her skull. She was reduced to whimpering on the ground, hoping the Doctor would read the forgiveness in her eyes.

Barker let loose a laugh, a high grating sound that drove like nails into Rose's brain. His voice, faint to her thrumming ears, was still distinct, "Well isn't that touching Doctor, I don't even have to kill blondie, you've done it for me."

"Shut up," the Doctor growled. His guilt only fueled his anger at himself and Barker. Rose had given up everything for him, and now she was dying because of it. They had only had precious moments together since she had returned, hardly enough to last the Doctor the rest of lonely eternity. Barker's taunts were too much for his frayed control, narrowing his eyes he glared at the man.

"No, I don't think I will. As long as I have the pyramid, I hold your dear blondie's life in my hands. I think I'll have some fun with that." He brought the pyramid closer to the core, it flared with sudden light and Rose screamed.

Any illusion of control the Doctor had snapped. He ran at Barker, intent on ripping the pyramid from his grasp before he could hurt Rose further. His battered body nearly gave out at the sudden motion, but the Time Lord's stubborn will pushed past the hesitation in his muscles. Barker's eyes widened, and grinned at the Doctor's actions. Then the Doctor was on him, desperately grappling for the pyramid.

In the blue light, the pyramid shone a sickly green, and the Doctor felt a sudden force throw him backward. His head hit hard on the concrete, and then all he knew was darkness.

_F/N: Thank you for reading, as always, love to hear from you! _


	21. Chapter 21

_A/N: Really no excuse, especially after the cliffie I left you all on. I will say thank you to those of you who reviewed during the hiatus, it means a lot. I cannot make promises when the next chapter will come, but I have outlined the rest until the end and the last line is written, so I know where I am going, that is always a huge help. I want to see this piece finished more than anyone. It has haunted me for more than two years, and is longer than anything I thought I was capable of writing. With that, I give you the next chapter. Wait no more. Enjoy. _

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who, I do not ow…ah bugger I wish I did though

* * *

Chapter Twenty: 

We watch the young man; he sits, showing no signs of outward movement beyond the rhythmic flutter of his eyelashes. Around him the sounds of bullets and frenzied screaming is ceaseless, the bloodied soundtrack of war, but the man does not react. He remains motionless, an expression of bewilderment and sorrow creasing the unlined canvas of his face. He is new to this war, or else we would not be able to see the lines on his face, they would be smeared with the ever-present mud.

It takes a bomb, exploding not a hundred feet away from the young soul, for any awareness of his surroundings to sink in. We watch him as he comes to with a jerk, looking around the scene. His first reaction is terror, as ours was.

He reaches out towards the ground, seeking some comfort in its stability. He does not know yet that the ground of this world changes as often as the rest of it. The only thing that is immutable is the act of war. His hands find the mud, sinking down into the gooey morass, trying to find solid ground, he finds only more mud. He is drowning in it.

We can feel his fear, his anxiety. He doesn't remember why he is here, only that his need to do something is desperate. Something must be done, but the something has slipped away from him.

A single, lonely tear cuts a path through the mud on his face. As we watch, we decide to end his loneliness; no more will he walk the paths of the stars alone. He will fight for us. And we will win our freedom.

The sky darkens above us; we can feel the enemy's anger. They do not want us to leave, but for once they are helpless to stop us. Their attention is bound by another foe, one with weapons far more deadly than ours. We can see their taint on the horizon, a sickly green tinge in the battle-smoke.

We follow the man's gaze, he looks in each direction. Some aspect of sanity returns to his eyes as he seeks a way out, but all he will see is more mud. A flat endless plain of mud, where once there were mountains, green and varied plant life, given to us by our captors to make us feel at home. The battle has since reduced it to mud. In the beginning we fought as individuals, but one cannot fight the ocean with grains of sand, you have to be the rock that the waves crash against. Thus, we learned to become one. Now this man will join us, we will use him for our cause.

We take shape before him; a shape his mind indicates is most familiar to him, a girl with golden hair…

* * *

He was a doctor. That was the most he could squeeze out of his brain at the moment. He felt like his brain had been run through the dyer on the high speed spin cycle, and in the process his memories had been reduced to that tissue you forgot to take out. Every angle he approached them at, they fell to scraps in his hands. He remembered a blue box, a girl with golden hair, a man with a wide grin, darkness, a burning planet, and so much more. But for all their vividness, they lacked the cohesive strand that would have bound them, scattering instead like marbles inside his brain.

So involved was he in examining the inside of his head that he failed to notice his surroundings until they made themselves violently present. The concussion from the blast rocked him backward, blowing his messy nest of hair back and no doubt charring his eyebrows. He started to look around, really look, and found himself in the heart of battle. The combatants weren't visible, but their tools of killing flew all around him, it was a miracle he was still alive. The next thing he registered was the mud, it had already found an uncomfortable home in his trainers, and was working on acquainting itself with the rest of his legs. With a vague curiosity he sunk his hands into the mud, seeking the solid ground beneath. But with his hand sunk up to the elbow in the viscous brown, it looked like he was surrounded by a sea of mud. He tried to pull his hand back, but found it was held fast by the liquid weight of the earth. He was stuck, drowning in mud.

Panic gripped his chest, squeezing like the mud that embraced him. He did not know its source, but it was like a rabid animal, stealing all reason from his carefully constructed being. Without his memories he had very little defense against the emotion rising in his throat, screaming to be released. With it came a wave of memory, more fragmented than the last. _Rose…Tenebres…Barker_, names unconnected with faces.

In his panic, he had begun to thrash, sinking himself deeper into the water-logged soil. There had to be solid ground somewhere! Terror found a home in the space between his hearts, speeding up their four beat rhythm. He had no concept of his own identity; all that existed in his world was the mud. It seeped into his clothing, smothering him with its cloying presence. He tried to open his mouth to scream, but found it instead filling with the stuff.

He opened his eyes, silently, hopelessly, staring at the leaden sky. He was stuck, trapped in his own terror, unable to move in the mud. There had to be more to life than this. He had a purpose, a mission – but it was lost with the rest of his memory.

A flash of gold in the corner of his eye caught his attention. It was the only spot of color in the entire world as far as he could see. It calmed him, his curiosity replacing some of terror and panic.

It was an innocent faced girl, no older than nine, with a mop of golden hair, standing in the middle of the battlefield as if was the most natural thing in the world. She smiled at him and the Doctor felt a sudden warmth run through his veins, no longer did the mud suffocate him, but rather wrapped him in a comforting blanket. This girl could answer all his questions, everything would be okay.

She knelt by his side and carefully wiped the mud off of his face, smoothing scorched eyebrows back into alignment. At her touch, he forgot his troubles entirely, as long as she was by his side, everything was okay. Her smile grew wider and the Doctor – that was his name! – recognized something predatory about it.

Now that he thought about it, something was wrong with this girl. She should not be in the middle of a battlefield; she should be safe at home, away from the instruments of war. Nor should she be this calm.

"Shh, Doctor," she stroked his cheek. Radiating outward from her touch, soothing warmth chased away his doubts.

His eyelids began to droop, and he found himself lost in the whirl of memories. The girl's touch seemed to be guiding him towards certain scraps. Eventually, the memories formed a story, fragmented images that flashed across his mind's eye.

He was a prisoner in this place, they (whoever they were), had trapped him here and done things to him. He had recently escaped them, fleeing across fields of mud until he could flee no further. He had collapsed in the mud, and awakened to find this young girl. She was much as he was, trapped in this world, at the mercy of the war happening around them.

He felt suddenly protective of the young soul kneeling by his side. She just wanted peace, to be able to play with other children her age, but instead the war had forced her to face realities no child her age should. He forced his eyes open again, tired brown eyes meeting innocent golden eyes. It was impossible effort to keep them open, but for a second their gazes locked. It was almost beyond him, but he managed mouth, "I promise, I will protect you. I will give you…peace-" His strength failing at last, he passed once more into sleep.

Looking down upon his haggard face, the girl smiled.

* * *

Rose was sure that she had died. She floated in a comforting green light, suspended, and without care. Finally, the pain and despair of a century had sloughed off, leaving her at peace. She remembered everything; Barker, the Doctor, even the pyramid, but she could not bring herself to care. She had cared for too long about too much, and now she could rest.

The light pulsed around her; it was like being in the heart of a bank of mist on a sunny day. It was impossible – it was beautiful. She reached out her hands to embrace the light, and the light reached back to her. It caressed her skin, flowing through the pores and into her flesh. Here was the peace she had earned, and with it came the power to do whatever she willed.

As the light played under her skin, Rose became aware of another presence in the between-space she occupied. Unlike her, this mind seethed against the comfort that this place offered. It puzzled her, in the way that the change of seasons might puzzle a rock, distantly and without consequence. She was the one who controlled this place, and with that realization, she decided, she did not want to share it. The other mind seemed to sense her conclusion and bridled against it.

The light spread farther up her arms, and as it reached her further into her; there came sensation of burning deep in her veins, and a sudden cessation of comfort. It was as if a part of her also fought, as the other mind did, against the soporific power of the light. Gold sparks began to play across the surface of her skin, jumping between the fine hairs of her arms. It was a power akin to time itself, but the green light was its match, similar but different in a very basic way. They raged within her, blocking her from the comfort that once had filled her. She moaned, seeking the sensation again; the mindless search of an addict seeking her fix.

Heedless, as the other mind approached her, Rose curled her body into a ball, torn by the two forces within her. She could not even dredge up the will to fight as hands wrapped around her neck. A voice screamed at her, filled with impotent rage, but she did not feel like making the effort to understand it.

As the golden light won a skirmish within her, she found a small measure of strength. With fingers that seemed no stronger than a newborns, she pried at the hands around her neck. For a second, her efforts seemed in vain, but then the hands came away, and she flung the other person back, off of her. It seemed that her opponent was likewise weakened by something, that or she was stronger than she felt.

With the adrenaline coursing through her, her thoughts became clearer, and she could finally understand what the man was shouting at her.

"You bitch! What did you do to it?" he screamed, spittle flinging from his lips, "It was mine! Mine, and now it seeks to devour me! I can feel it, feeding you like some fat leech."

She cringed. He was a small man, dressed in a military uniform, but his air was anything but of a disciplined military man. His eyes bulged from his head, the whites of them visible; veins knotted in his temples and in his neck. He was a man that had passed the edge of reason and had found refuge in madness.

"I don't know what you are talking about!" She attempted to shield herself from his words, her memories were still distant and hard to understand, but she sensed an edge of truth to his words. The green light was attempting to do something to her, but something inherent within her was blocking it. Now that he had mentioned it, it did feel very much like it was attempting to fill her with power, to stretch her mind with stolen psychic energy.

"Like hell you do! I'm no fool, no matter what the Doctor has told you. I know what he was doing! He must have known the true purpose of the pyramid, and hidden that knowledge from me. That's it! He wanted me to steal the pyramid, to bring it to the Core. He knew I could get it past the crazies without risk to either of you. He wanted me to give the Tenebres to the pyramid, so that it would make you powerful, his equal to travel with him," Barker (_that was his name wasn't it?_) was trembling with ill controlled rage. "Well, unfortunately for the Doctor, I know now what the pyramid does, and I am not going to let it make you into a god! The power it eats, that's mine! I'll rip it from your cold dead body!"

Without warning he charged at her again. Rose was unprepared, the mention of the Doctor had awakened all of her distant memories and she was racing to sort through them all. Barker, Julius Barker, had said that the pyramid was gathering power, probably from devouring the Tenebres, and conveying it to her. The golden light must be the remnant of the time vortex within her, fighting the power the pyramid was giving her. That could only mean one thing, if the TARDIS' heart was fighting it; it had to be bad for her. She wanted it no more than she wanted Barker to have it.

Only her battle reflexes, honed over a century, saved her. She rolled to the side and Barker charged past her. He whipped around, eyes fastening on her like a charging bull. She settled herself into a fighting crouch. She was not the helpless girl anymore; she had survived worse than the man before her. He was only half mad, the ones she had fought before had been truly beyond the edge of humanity.

Barker sank back, as if taking in her new stance and adjusting accordingly. He would be a dangerous opponent, and without weapons, his strength could easily wear her down. She was weak from the energies fighting inside of her. But on her side, she had years of experience, and the knowledge of how to fight when weakened by hunger or fatigue. Yet she was thinking of this wrong, the physical representations of them both were only a construct of their individual psyches. She should be thinking in terms of Barkers mental abilities, which, she suddenly could tell, were far less trained than her own. Yet the same fatigued that manifested physically, plagued her mind, and Barker's madness lent him supernatural strength.

More than anything, she just wanted to end this quickly. The peace that the pyramid had offered still beckoned from the back of her mind. She was tired, and as soon as she had ended the threat of Barker, she planned on taking a very long nap.

He came at her again, fists flailing. She caught both fists in her hands and threw him back. Surprised at her sudden strength, she looked down at her hands, they glowed a faint green. It was clear that the energies of the time vortex were wearing thin after protecting her for so long.

Barker growled angrily at the sight of her glowing hands. He moved with a feral grace, and began to circle her. Again and again he would charge her, they would grapple, and she would push him back. Soon they were both limping heavily and blood streamed from a cut above Rose's eye and an abrasion on Barker's cheek – analogues of the wounds they were taking in this psychic battle.

Rose never taking her eyes off of Barker, said in a calm voice, "You know we don't have to do this. You said that you were doing this just to get rid of the Overmind, if we work together, we can still make that happen."

Barker stopped, staring at her as if in disbelief, then he started to laugh, "You fool girl. Just like the Doctor, you beg and whine when you should fight. No, I don't think I want your help, not when I can just take what's mine." With those words he began to circle her again.

After what seemed an eternity, they had reached an impasse. Both were too weak to end the fight with one decisive blow. So instead, they merely chipped away at each other, until they seemed too weary to make another blow.

Throughout the battle, Rose could feel the power of the pyramid slowly overtake and consume the power of the time vortex, and with it the siren call of comfort became stronger. It sapped her strength, a loss she could ill-afford. The power of the pyramid offered was a two edged sword, on one hand the power made her blows stronger and forced Barker back, but on the other hand, it made it harder to concentrate on the fight. She was slowly being lulled into a waking trance, rousing herself barely enough to block Barker's oncoming blows. He seemed to notice the change and pressed his advantage, pushing her back through the green mist.

She despaired.

And in her despair she found the strength to drive him back. As she gave up, the green light of the pyramid flooded through her, all but shoving strength back into her. She locked eyes with Barker, and suddenly he was no more than an ant pushing at her feet. She grabbed him in her mental grip and flayed his mind open. She pitied what she found there.

Barker was no more than a shell of a man, hollowed from the inside out by the forces of bitterness and hatred. He scarce could call himself a human being, or was this what humanity had become, shells of their former selves? Rose could not bear to ponder it. She turned her attention back to Barker.

This was the man that had captured and tortured the Doctor, laughing as he had done it. Here was the man that had threatened Jack with unending servitude. Here was the man who had slaughtered the inhabitants of Torchwood without a second thought. Here was the man who had laughed as he had held her life in his hands.

Far from being divorced from her emotions, Rose felt as if she was feeling them for the very first time. They surged through her; anger, despair, pain, hatred. They all coiled up, like a snake waiting to strike.

Rose knew what she was about to do was wrong, but under the influence of the pyramid, she could not bring herself to stop. She reached into Barker's mind, and pulled from him all the things that made him Julius Barker; his memories, his personality, his ambitions, until all that was left was a blank slate. She tossed the blank soul out into the howling winds of the psychic world, she saw it snag on something and then vanish as the being assimilated the blank. She gave a small chuckle; Barker had finally joined the Overmind. What she had taken from Barker, what was left of him, she shredded and tossed into the void. The person once known as Julius Barker was finally dead.

Rose bent double in sudden agony, her vision fading to gold. She could feel the energy of the TARDIS within her, aiding some small part of her mind that still fought the pyramid's suffocating comfort. The small part of her mind directed the energy, pushing the pyramid back. She had often called it – the small voice in her head – her own personal Doctor. It was the voice that never gave up, and now it struggled to push past the pyramid's influence. It offered her the knowledge of what she had just done, and asked her to fight, lest she become no better than Barker.

That thought, and the guilt it inspired, finally provided the strength she needed. With one final effort she expelled the power of the pyramid from her mind. Bereft of strength, her mind was thrown out onto the winds of the universe. There she drifted, cut off from her body. She could only hope the Doctor would find her there, or the forces that fought around her would tear her apart.

* * *

_F/N: Thank you for reading. _


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